In Darkness We Fall
by Shiori07
Summary: The world was a dark, cruel place. That's what Kirito would say if you asked him. Humans were despicable beings as well, though being a cold-blooded killer himself, he doesn't have much room to talk. He and his partner, his best friend, Sinon, fight to better this world, but a change is coming, and the very reason they fight may be shaken by its foundations. Cover not mine!
1. Chapter 1: A Dark Life

Chapter 1: A Dark Life

_Click. Click. Click. _With each small sound, the image in the scope grew larger. A girl with short, powder blue hair laid on the concrete floor, a gun in her arms. This gun was pointed out of a window in an empty skyscraper. A chilling wind blew through the building, causing the girl to shiver and pull her muffler tighter around her neck. She had been sitting there for over an hour, waiting for a certain something to arrive at the building across town.

"Sinon." A voice crackled out of the radio beside her. "Any movement?"

"No." The girl, apparently named Sinon, answered. "Nothing yet. But it should happen any second now."

"If our information was right."

"You know that our information is never wrong."

"True, but I like to think that our employer has at least a few flaws."

"You and me both." It was silent for a moment. "You know, you don't have to be here. I could just do this myself."

A sigh sounded from the radio. "That would have been the case a year ago, but now they've tightened up security. The cars are most likely bulletproof, and even if you were able to get them out of the car, they would have force fields up or something. You need someone on the ground to clear a shot for you. Besides, where would the fun be if you just sniped and that was it?"

Sinon smirked at that. "Why must you love making things more difficult?"

She heard a soft chuckle. "That's just how I am."

Sinon put her eye to her scope again, a smirk still plastered on her face. It was silent after that. The sniper spent the time searching for her target along the busy street. Suddenly she spotted a black limousine.

"Kirito, approaching at your nine o'clock."

"Understood." The radio replied. "Intercepting. Watch my back."

"Always."

Down on the street below, a boy dressed all in black poked his head out of an alley and looked down the street. He could just see a black limo coming his way, a caravan of police cars surrounding it. He quickly pulled his head back inside the small space between buildings and pressed a button on his watch. Immediately, his appearance changed. Before, he had short, black hair and onyx eyes, but afterword, a dim light seemed to pass over him and his hair became long and more of a dark brown color while his eyes turned red. Then, he slipped onto the street.

It took a while for people to notice him, but as soon as they did, screams filled the air as people pointed at him, horrified looks on their faces. Some people ran, while others stood frozen until he looked at them and they scattered.

As the cars came closer, Kirito reached his hand backward and pulled his black sword from the sheath on his back. Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he casually strode onto the street. The cars began to swerve, trying to avoid hitting the boy that had just walked onto the road, but Kirito just stood there.

As the limo sped towards him, he calmly sidestepped and slashed his sword along the length of the vehicle. It cut through the metal as if it were butter. The limo skidded to a stop several meters away from him. Kirito looked back at it almost indifferently before turning and striding toward it. People were scrambling out of the cars now, trying to organize a defense. Though, honestly, it was pointless.

A man was staring at the boy, his face pale. "It _is _him! The Black Swordsman!"

Kirito chucked darkly at the mention of his title. He found it quite fitting actually.

The guards immediately began shouting orders, but it just made Kirito roll his eyes. Humans could be so pitiful. He approached them calmly, letting his sword tip scrape ominously against the concrete. That's when they began to shoot at the swordsman, a fatal mistake.

Kirito raised his sword and used the flat of his blade to block the bullets that were speeding toward him. They ricocheted, some hitting the concrete, others embedding themselves in the flesh of those who shot them. The boy listened to their screams of agony before he descended upon them. It sent a pang through his chest, what he was doing, but he knew it had to be done.

Inside the skyscraper, Sinon was still surveying the scene through her scope. She was just watching Kirito as he dealt blow after decisive blow. The girl scoffed. "Show off." She continued to watch, her finger resting gently on the trigger, waiting for just the right moment to pull. There were still too many obstacles in front of the target and she would risk missing if she shot now.

Soon, bodies littered the ground, their blood beginning to form a large pool. Kirito's boots splashed as he walked toward the remaining police officers and the man that he had been hired to kill. The officers formed a barrier around the man as they shot round after round at Kirito, but he dodged effortlessly. When he was merely a few meters away, he dashed forward, almost too swiftly for the officers to see. Before they could react, however, they were a bloody mess on the ground.

The man remaining stared in horror at the scene that lay before him. Then, as Kirito stepped closer to him, the man crouched down in fear and pleaded "Don't kill me!"

Kirito smiled down at him, but knew that he would never get the chance to kill the man anyway. He could hear the police reinforcements. They were firing at him now, from atop buildings and the street behind him. He couldn't see where the gunfire was coming from, so he couldn't really do anything to stop it at the moment. Instead, he was forced to withdraw, disappearing into the shadows.

The man left on the ground looked around, filled with joyous relief. He got up, and ran toward his saviors. That was also a mistake. Just as he got up and began to run, Sinon calmly pulled the trigger.

* * *

Kirito yawned as he walked inside the door into his apartment. He dropped the gym bag he was carrying onto the floor, and moved his head from side to side, stretching his neck out. He was back to his normal appearance now, his short, black hair slightly ruffled and his intense onyx eyes slightly dull due to his lack of energy.

Suddenly, a voice tinkled throughout the apartment. "Welcome home, daddy!"

A small smile appeared on Kirito's face. "Hey, Yui. I'm home."

As soon as he finished speaking a small girl wearing a simple, pale pink dress came around the corner and ran toward him, her hair swishing at her waist. Kirito held his arms wide and the little girl jumped into them without hesitation. He swung her around a few times in a tight embrace before setting her down.

"It's your turn to cook today." A voice said from behind him.

Kirito sighed and turned around to look at the girl that was standing behind him. "Do I have to?"

The girl smiled. "Yes. I cooked yesterday."

"Mommy!" Yui said excitedly, before running toward Sinon.

Sinon laughed as she caught the little girl in a hug. "Hi, Yui. I see you missed us."

The interesting thing about this little girl, was she wasn't even a little girl at all. She was the operating system that was provided by Kirito and Sinon's employer. She was installed into their apartment, but there was a mobile unit that she could control and so she could walk and talk like she was human. It was quite amazing actually, you could barely tell she was a computer. Technology in this day and age was truly something. Yui was so advanced that she could feel actual emotions. That was how she felt close enough to Kirito and Sinon to call them "mommy" and "daddy," and not because she was programmed to say that.

That was another weird thing though, Yui called Sinon and Kirito "mommy" and "daddy," but they weren't together. They were best friends sure, but they didn't like each other _that _way. Besides, Kirito couldn't really see himself as a father because of his line of work and the fact that he was only sixteen.

"Now, about dinner." Sinon began as she looked back up at Kirito.

The boy sighed. "If you cooked yesterday, doesn't that mean we can have leftovers? I'll cook tomorrow . . . and why do you still look like that?"

Sinon looked down at herself. "Oh. I forgot to turn it off." She said, pulling out a compact mirror from her pocket. She shifted her large bag to the side before she flipped the small mirror open and touched several buttons that appeared on the inside. Immediately, her hair turned black and her eyes changed from indigo to brown. "Fine. We can have leftovers. But you won't get out of cooking tomorrow."

"Alright." Kirito grumbled.

Sinon stepped inside and toward the stairs that led upward. "Can you warm it up then?"

"Yeah." Kirito sighed.

As Sinon unlocked her door and stepped inside, he could hear her yell at him. "And don't forget to put your gear away."

"Yeah, yeah!" Kirito hollered impatiently. Then, he slipped off his shoes and picked up his bag again before walking to the stairs that lead downward, Yui at his heels.

He had long gotten used to living with Sinon. They're employer kind of required that they live in the same place, so there was really no choice, but they didn't mind. Besides, this particular apartment was provided by their employer himself, and it wasn't too shabby.

As Kirito opened the door into his room, he plopped on the ground and opened his bag. He sighed as he viewed the contents. That was just great, there was blood all over his favorite leather coat and boots. He would have to get those cleaned.

Yui sat down next to him and snuggled against his arm. "Your clothes are dirty." She said. "Would you like me to clean them for you?"

"That would be great, Yui. Thanks." Kirito answered. Usually he would do his own laundry, but you couldn't exactly throw leather into the washing machine. Yui would be more successful at cleaning these particular items than he would.

Placing those articles of clothing on the floor in front of Yui, Kirito opened another pocket and pulled out his long, black sword that was appropriately named "Elucidator." He slipped that and the bag under his bed before getting up to leave. That's when he remembered he still had his fingerless gloves in his pocket. He pulled them out and examined them quickly. Satisfied that they seemed to have escaped being tainted, he tossed them on the bed before opening his door and leaving his room, Yui right beside him, clutching his clothes to her chest.

He had just put the food on the stove, when Sinon came down the stairs. Kirito glanced at her and saw that she had changed, now wearing an oversized light blue sweater that dropped off one shoulder, a pair of shorts, and her usual pair of glasses. She only wore those when she wasn't on a job. When she was working, she wore contacts, since it was easier to look through her scope. She came to stand close by, staring out of the panoramic window that stretched across the wall. From here, there was a good view of the city below.

It was dark outside, and lights twinkled from the streets below. The view became even more serene as snowflakes began to fall.

"Where's Yui?" Sinon asked.

"She went to clean my coat and boots."

"I wonder why." Came a sarcastic response.

"It's not _my _fault!"

"Yes it is. I think you went a little overboard. There was practically a river of blood on the street." When Kirito remained silent, Sinon just sighed. "You could have been a little cleaner."

The boy shrugged. "It's not as easy as you think, Sinon . . . but a little extra payment would give me incentive." Then, his eyebrows scrunched together as a thought struck him. "Hey, Yui."

"Yes, daddy?" Yui's voice sounded through speakers throughout the room.

"Has our payment been deposited yet?"

"Yes. Payment was deposited an hour and eighteen minutes ago, with a message requesting a meeting at 23:00."

"A meeting?" Kirito mumbled.

"You're probably going to get a scolding." Sinon said snidely. Then her eyes widened as she looked at the stove. "Kirito, watch the food!"

Kirito whirled around, noticing the black smoke emanating from the pot. "Shit!" He cursed as he took a dishtowel and frantically swatted the pot with it. Sinon had trouble holding in a laugh, her friend looked so ridiculous. Then, she quickly rushed over to his side and turned the stove down, simultaneously moving the pot off the burner.

"You're so scatter-brained." The girl chided before lifting the cover and checking the miso soup inside. "It looks ok. A little burnt, but edible. Did you cook rice?"

"Um . . ." Kirito's eyes shifted to the side before he quickly dashed off to put rice in the rice cooker. Sinon sighed and turned her attention to the soup.

* * *

About an hour later, Kirito and Sinon were sitting at their dining table, just finishing up supper. The two of them sat at the heads of the small table while Yui sat between them, swinging her legs back and forth. She wasn't eating of course, but she liked sitting with Kirito and Sinon at mealtimes. She enjoyed the familial feeling that came with it.

They were just about to clean up, when a message appeared on their window that also functioned as a screen. The message read: incoming call.

Kirito and Sinon briefly glanced at each other before the dark-haired boy turned toward his "daughter."

"Yui, could you, uh . . ."

She immediately understood and gave him a bright smile. "Yep!" She said cheerily, before hopping off her chair and moving to sit on the couch in the living room. Meanwhile, Kirito and Sinon quickly shoved all of the dishes in the sink before standing erectly in front of the screen. When they were composed, Kirito pressed his hand on the "answer call" icon that appeared.

A face popped up, filling the screen. It nodded at them politely.

"Good evening, Kirito. Sinon."

"Heathcliff." Sinon greeted in return.

This was their employer, Heathcliff, otherwise known as Akihiko Kayaba. To Japan, and more recently, the world, he was known as the greatest mind and inventor of the age. He created weapons and technology that people had only _dreamed_ of until he found a way to make them a reality. But he had another goal in mind to achieve as well: he wanted to end the war splitting Japan in two, and become the head of its new government. "Heathcliff" was the alias he wanted to be known by once that goal became reality.

"You both are looking well."

"Thank you, sir. You as well." Sinon replied. Kirito remained silent, allowing the girl next to him do all the talking. He didn't like Heathcliff that much – ok in truth he really didn't like anybody—and so he would only speak if he absolutely needed to.

"Thank you." Heathcliff said, though there wasn't a trace of a smile on his face. "Now, onto more pressing matters. I am aware that you completed the task I assigned you without incident. I appreciate the work you do in an attempt to aid this country . . . though, your methods, Kirito. I find them a bit unorthodox." The boy in question remained silent, so Heathcliff continued. "I understand that you are more battle oriented than Sinon is, but I believe that you could have been a tad . . . cleaner."

Kirito glanced at Sinon. She gave him a look saying "I told you so."

The boy groaned inwardly as he came to face Heathcliff once more. "That is the way I operate, _sir. _If you disagree with my methods, either increase my pay or hire another hit man."

Sinon's eyes widened slightly, and she almost elbowed Kirito to get him to hold off a bit. He was going a little too far.

Heathcliff eyed him for a moment before nodding. "Very well then. I shall increase your pay." Kirito simply nodded and Sinon let out a relieved sigh. "Now then. I would like the two of you to come in tomorrow afternoon. There is some new equipment that was developed that I think you will find interesting. But more to the point, you are aware just who your last target was, correct?"

"Yes, sir." Sinon replied. "He was the CEO of a large game system company who supplied weapons to the Union."

"Indeed. However, despite the fact that you 'assassinated' him, his company seems to be running normally. This has lead us to believe that the man you killed was a decoy."

"So what you're saying is you want us to find the real CEO and kill him?" Kirito asked coolly.

Heathcliff gave a nod. "Though, if the entire company came crashing down, then my hand may slip and add an extra zero to your next payment."

"Understood, sir. We'll look into it." Sinon reassured him.

"Excellent. I shall see you both tomorrow afternoon then." Heathcliff said before Sinon and Kirito gave short farewells.

As the image disappeared, revealing the glowing city below, Kirito sighed before making his way to the living room and plopping down next to Yui. The little girl cuddled close to him, pressing her face into his arm. The teen absent-mindedly brought his hand up to pat her head as Sinon came to sit on the other side of him.

"Kirito . . . you need to be more careful." Sinon said to him.

Knowing what she was talking about, Kirito groaned. "I knew what I was doing. Besides, no one else in the world has our skill. It's not like he can replace us in the blink of an eye."

The girl sighed. "I suppose."

There was a short silence until Kirito spoke. "Yui, what time is it?"

"Currently, it is 23:13."

The boy stood up and stretched. "Well, it's late. You can power down for the night, Yui, but run a program and conduct a search on Mintendo Corporation during the night."

Yui stood up and gave a cute salute. "Aye aye, daddy!" She said, before sitting on a chair by the wall. "Good night!" Then, it looked like she fell asleep as her small form curled up in her seat.

"Good night." Kirito answered. Then, as he began to walk down the stairs, he said "night, Sinon."

"Night." Sinon replied, before going back to her room.

* * *

Kirito groaned as he heard the knocking sound that was coming from outside his door. It had been going on for a few minutes now, and Kirito had hoped that the person knocking would go away. But that obviously wasn't happening.

The teen groaned again as the knocking got louder. Reluctantly, he rolled out of bed, scratching his stomach under his shirt as he made his way to the door. He had planned to go out and answer the front door. That was why he was surprised to find Sinon standing in her pajamas outside his door when he opened it.

He blinked. "Sinon?"

The girl was looking down at the floor. "Hey, Kirito."

It was quiet for a minute. "Do you need something?"

"Uh, yeah." She said quietly before lifting her head up to look into his eyes. "Can I . . . stay with you tonight? I had a nightmare."

If Kirito hadn't known Sinon as well as he did or hadn't understood what her nightmares were, he would have laughed and said that she was being childish.

The boy looked at her face for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. Of course."

Sinon gave him a small smile. "Thanks." She said softly, before grabbing his hand and pulling him outside and up the stairs. He didn't complain as he closed the door behind them, allowing himself to be dragged. As Sinon reached the top of the stairs, she pulled Kirito's hand so that they were by the couch. It looked like she had already set up so they could spend the night. A few pillows and blankets were stacked neatly on the sofa.

The two of them sat there together, and seemingly out of habit, Sinon gently rested her head against Kirito's shoulder as he opened one of the blankets and threw it on top of the both of them. A pleasant silence followed as the two of them listened to the other's breathing. Eventually though, Kirito spoke.

"You're thinking about your dream aren't you?" He felt her nod. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Sinon shook her head. "No. It's the same as always. The cages."

Kirito let out a slow breath. He still had that dream sometimes too, and it was none too pleasant. He grabbed her hand, which had been resting on her knee, and Sinon relaxed further.

"The world is a dark, cruel place, Kirito." She said suddenly. "You're the only thing that's good in the whole damned universe."

Kirito shook his head. "Don't say that. It's not true. I'm just as dark."

"No, you're not." Sinon insisted. "Humans are despicable. Their souls are black and corrupted. They do whatever cruel and twisted thing they can think of just to get what they want. But you? You're pure."

Kirito stayed silent. He had heard Sinon's views on humans before. Despite the fact that she _was _one, she hated them with all her heart, and he could guess why. He had just as much reason to hate them as she did. Maybe it was because she knew something he didn't or she had a personal grudge that he didn't know about, but for some reason, he didn't seem to hate them as much as she did. That didn't mean he liked them very much though.

The only person he truly liked was Sinon herself. It was probably because of all they had been through together and the seven years they spent as partners. They were best friends now, and Kirito couldn't imagine his life without her. It was the same the other way around too, he knew, and knowing these things made living this life bearable.

**Author's notes: Hello there! So this is an idea I've had for a while and I'm having problems with my other stories at the moment and this was on my computer so i thought "why not." Now this won't be my focus for a while because of my other stories so my updates won't be very regular right now, but i promise i will get to this. So please review and tell me what you think so far. See ya!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online or any of its characters.**


	2. Chapter 2: Their Commitments

Chapter 2: Their Commitments

Kirito was awake, but only just so. He laid there (more like sat there) on the couch with his eyes closed, enjoying the comfort he felt in that moment. It was warm under the blanket on his lap and peacefully quiet in the apartment. But most of all, he enjoyed the feeling of Sinon's body leaning against his, her soft breathing indicating that she was still asleep. Something about feeling her presence, knowing that she was beside him, gave him a warm feeling inside.

The boy sat there for a while, his eyes still shut, not wanting the moment to end. But something nagged at him to open his eyes. So he did . . . and jumped so violently, Sinon woke with a start.

Yui giggled from her place in front of him. Her face had been hovering disturbingly close to his.

"Good morning, daddy! Good morning, mommy!"

Sinon sat up and stretched her arms into the air. "Good morning." She yawned.

"Yui . . . morning." Kirito said between pants.

"It is now 6:30! Time to get ready for school!"

Kirito groaned as Sinon got off of the sofa. "Ok. We'll get dressed." She said. Then she glared at her friend, who was now laying on his stomach, his body taking up the length of the couch. "Right, Kirito?"

He just groaned again, and with a sigh, Sinon went to the kitchen, poured a glass of water, and came back to the living room. She dipped her fingers inside, then flicked the water at Kirito's face. He just grunted in annoyance before turning his head so that he faced way from her.

Sinon put a hand on her hip. "Come on, Kirito. I don't like it either but we need to go." There was a long, drawn out 'no' in response. "Don't make me pour ice water on you again."

Kirito was suddenly sitting up. "I'm awake."

The girl gave him a sweet smile. "Great." Then she began to go up to her room. "And you cook breakfast this morning, since it's your turn."

"Right." Kirito muttered as he went down to his room to change.

He hated that skilled assassins like him and Sinon had to go to a stupid high school filled with annoying teenagers. But they didn't do it for kicks. The school they went to was near Tokyo, a neutral zone. Heathcliff sent them there on a regular basis in an attempt to gather information that might lead to the Tokyo area joining their side. But why them? Well, they were Heathcliff's only underlings who were the correct age.

Sinon was walking back down the stairs now, dressed in the uniform of the school, to see Kirito already in the kitchen, stirring some eggs in a pan.

They were both wearing the same thing for the most part. Each of them had on a white, button down shirt, a blazer, and a tie, though Kirito left his blazer unbuttoned while Sinon wore a skirt with knee socks instead of pants. Also, Kirito's tie was left hanging around his neck because, frankly, he couldn't tie one to save his life.

"Well look who's dressed." Kirito said as she came to stand next to him.

"I don't take _that _long." Sinon rolled her eyes.

"'Well at least you're not like other girls who take an hour just to do their makeup."

"Then you're lucky I don't like makeup."

After this they set the table and said a quick thanks for the meal before hurriedly eating their breakfast and heading for the door.

"Bye, Yui." Kirito said as he slipped his shoes on by the doorway.

"Hey, wait a minute." Sinon said from the hall. She walked up to him, her face showing her exasperation, if only slightly. "You're tie isn't tied. How many times have I tried to teach you how to do it?" As she chided him, her hands went up to his neck and tied the offending piece of clothing for him.

Kirito just shrugged as he stood there, watching her. For some reason, he never took the time to learn or put much effort into learning. Maybe it was because he liked to bother Sinon by making her do it?

"There. We're ready now." Sinon said with a pat to Kirito's chest. Then she bent down and slid on her shoes. "Bye, Yui. We're heading out now."

"Ok! Take care of yourselves!" said Yui's cheerful voice before the door closed.

Together, Kirito and Sinon made their way down to the first floor and out onto the street to take the bus. Kirito would have loved to take his motorcycle, but Sinon was wearing a skirt and she would probably kill him for exposing her underwear, even though it was the wind's fault.

On the bus, Kirito and Sinon sat together like they always did, in the back corner, silent as they watched other people boarding and leaving the bus. Being in a closed space with them always made the two uneasy.

As he sat there, Kirito couldn't help but feel a little out of place. The other people on the bus barely spared him a glance. As the Black Swordsman, people would take one look at him and die of fright. He supposed that those were just the perks of Heathcliff's disguises.

It was fifteen minutes before they reached the school. When they finally got there, the two disembarked from the bus and walked toward the school's front gates.

Most students looked at them as they passed. Of course none of them knew Kirito's and Sinon's alter egos, but they definitely found them to be an odd pair. They were siblings, as far as anyone was concerned, they looked well enough alike for that to seem true, but they never concerned themselves with anyone except each other.

After they had reached their classroom and the lecture began, Kirito soon became bored and instead rested his chin on his hand to stare out the window. He really hated going to school. It was filled with people and he was forced to sit through lectures on stuff he had already learned.

Pretty much the rest of the day went by like this, lunch the only solace. At this point, Kirito was bored out of his mind and took to sitting at a picnic table outside, his head down on the table. Not long after he got there, he heard someone settle in the space beside him. He knew it was Sinon before she even poked him on the shoulder. He looked up to see her sitting on the table, her legs crossed and a slight smile on her face as she held out a lump of rice to him on her chopsticks. When he just sat there and realized that she wasn't going to move anytime soon, he sighed and obediently opened his mouth.

A long time ago, he would have freaked out about sharing chopsticks with her, but this was Sinon, so he didn't really care. Besides, neither of them ate that much anyway, so it was pointless to pack a second lunch.

"Takahashi-kun?"

It took Kirito a second to realize that someone was talking to him and sit up. At school, he and Sinon got to keep their usual names, but Heathcliff had come up with some random surname for them to use.

Standing beside the table were two girls. One had long chestnut-brown hair while the other had really short brown hair held back by a clip.

"Do you mind if we sit here?" The one with long hair asked.

Kirito had half a mind to say 'no', but Sinon, the one who used her head more, smiled and said. "No. Go ahead." Their mission required that they 'blend in' and 'play nice'.

The girl smiled and she and her friend sat down opposite them. Kirito knew these two to be Asuna Yuuki and her friend, whose name he didn't really care about. Not that he cared about the Yuuki girl, it's just that she bothered him more than anyone else. She was always approaching him and Sinon in an attempt to be "friendly". Like right now.

"So. Winter break is coming up." Asuna began. "Do you guys have any plans?"

Kirito rested his chin in his hand, so Sinon took that as her cue to speak. "No, not really. We're planning on studying this break."

The swordsman almost laughed. Yeah, studying. Studying methods to kill people with.

"Oh. Well that's not a bad thing to do. Will you at least be with family for Christmas?"

"Yep. It should be fun."

Soon, the conversation dwindled into nothingness, just as Kirito knew that Sinon wanted it to. The four of them sat there eating their lunches, Sinon offering some to Kirito every so often. Finally, the bell rang, signaling for the students to head back to class.

"Well, we'll see you later." Asuna said politely before getting up with a "let's stop by the teachers' lounge, Rika" and leaving with her friend in tow. Kirito watched them leave.

"She's so annoying." Sinon muttered, glancing at them as she stood up.

"Mm-hm." Kirito hummed before standing himself.

Sinon looked at him. "What do you think?"

He met her gaze, his eyes blinking at the question. "What do you mean?"

She gave a small shrug. "I don't know. Just tell me your thoughts."

Kirito looked off in the direction of the school in thought. "Well you know that I hate people. And anyway, I don't care who she is. She's just a girl that goes to school here."

Sinon just looked at him for a few seconds, then looked at the school herself, as if she had something on her mind.

Noticing this, Kirito asked "Why? What do you think?"

His friend pursed her lips, trying to gather her thoughts. "She just doesn't seem normal. She's... too driven." After a while, she shook her head to clear it. "Let's get school over with already," she said, gently nudging his shoulder with hers before walking on toward the school.

* * *

The rest of the day passed by very slowly for Kirito, but when they finally took the bus home, it was a relief. He and Sinon rushed inside, got changed and grabbed their gear before heading out again, assuring a downtrodden Yui that they would be home well before dinnertime. This time, to Kirito's delight, they took his motorcycle and he drove them to their destination. He really did love his bike, but it wasn't really the bike itself that he loved. What he enjoyed the most, was the feeling that he was free: the wind rushing by him and his ability to control wherever he went with a confident turn of his hands. He could tell Sinon liked it too by the way she laughed sometimes when he sped up quickly or made a large, wide turn that had their feet barely skimming the road.

Kirito drove them around town for about twenty minutes before a large building with 'RCT Progress' on the side came into view. Per the usual, he drove around the back of the building toward where the garage for employees was located. As he slowed down a little by the entrance, Sinon pulled out a card and passed it over the scanner that was on a panel. The metal door made a grinding sound as it opened, but Kirito didn't wait for it to open all the way, he just sped inside when the opening was tall enough.

Inside, it was mostly dark, a few lights hung from the ceiling every now and then, but there wasn't much there. After parking his motorcycle near some cars, Kirito got off, Sinon right behind him, and made his way over to the elevator. Once they were inside, Sinon swiped her card again on a panel in the elevator before pressing the floor they wanted.

The lift was quiet as it smoothly began to move downward, underground. Kirito fingered the strap of his bag as they went, wondering what kinds of things Heathcliff wanted to show them.

Getting out, Sinon and Kirito walked through a lot of white and brightly lit halls, passing many people wearing lab coats along the way. Finally they reached a large room after scanning Sinon's card once more. There was a large desk in the back with a complex-looking computer interface on it. A few other desks and machines were around the room as well, but Kirito could only guess what they were for. What really caught his attention was the man in the room.

There, sitting behind the large desk, was Heathcliff. He was tall, with short, dark hair and a mole under his eye. Just looking at him, you could tell that he was an unprecedented genius. Kirito couldn't really explain it, maybe it was his eyes, but there was a certain intelligence in them (and something else, though Kirito couldn't quite place it).

As the two neared him, Kayaba looked up.

"Sinon, Kirito. I'm glad you came.

"We're glad to be here." Sinon said politely. "What did you have to show us?"

"It's over here." He said, standing and beckoning them to the left wall. They followed him over, dropping their bags by his desk along the way. At the wall, Kayaba typed something into a panel and a large rack slid out.

He reached up and pulled off what appeared to be a cylinder. Then he turned to Kirito and tossed it to him. Sinon and Kirito looked at it curiously as the boy caught it and turned it in his palm.

"You wanted to show me a piece of metal?"

Heathcliff ignored Kirito's sarcasm. "This is a new sword I have been developing for you. Go ahead and push the switch on the side."

Kirito shrugged as he did what he was told. As he pushed the switch, a dark violet blade buzzed into existence. His eyebrows rose in surprise. "What is this?"

"A photon sword. Put simply it is a carefully controlled laser."

Kirito frowned as he slashed the weapon downward. "It's cool, but it's light."

"Well, duh. It's a laser." Sinon said with a smirk.

"You know what I meant!"

"It's not supposed to weigh much." Kayaba continued. "Since you have been doing more than a few stealth missions lately, I designed this for speed." Here, he pulled a black handgun down. "This is your back-up."

Kirito turned off his sword and took the gun into his hand gingerly. He didn't really like guns, they were more Sinon's specialty. He preferred the reliable weight and steel of a sword in his hand.

Testing the sight by aiming at the wall, Kirito spoke. "Well, at least it's in black."

Next, Kayaba took a large rifle down and held it out to Sinon. "And this is the latest model of your sniper rifle, Sinon. The Hecate II." Sinon stared at it in awe as she took it into her arms. "It's made of a lighter metal alloy and can shoot greater distances. The action should be smoother as well."

". . . Thank you." Sinon said gratefully, running her fingers along the side.

It was obvious by now that Sinon held Heathcliff in higher regard than she did others. Kirito didn't really feel the same way, but he could understand why she respected the man. He had technically saved them, after all.

"Of course." The man said. Then he glanced at a door just beside the rack. "Before you take them with you, I was hoping that you could test them. I'll do maintenance on your other equipment in the meantime."

"Sure." Kirito said. He was already grabbing magazines and a belt from the rack. Sinon did the same, and soon after, the two of them were heading through the door. Inside was an even larger room. It was about the size of a soccer field with a high ceiling, white walls and a floor covered in a grid of some kind.

"What do you feel like today?" Sinon asked as she went to a panel in the wall.

Kirito thought about it. "It's been cold lately, so . . . desert landscape?"

His friend nodded, typing something and soon, they were surrounded by dessert sand and a few rock formations. The sniper eyed their surroundings critically. Suddenly, she pointed to a large rock. "I'll take position up there. Give me a minute before you start."

Kirito nodded as Sinon rushed off. He started his mental timer and slowly walked into the middle of the room. In doing so, he unclipped his new sword from his belt. Then he drew his gun, holding it like could burst into flames at any second. Steeling himself, he griped it firmly, placing his fingers where they were supposed to go.

"Begin program."

A few seconds after he issued the command, guns fired from a distance and bullets shot passed him. The swordsman eyed the place he knew they had come from before sprinting off in their direction.

It actually surprised Kirito that he could move so fast as he fought these virtual enemies. This new sword wasn't very heavy, so his strength turned to speed instead. It still felt odd though, it wasn't a fighting style he was used to.

Several minutes later, Kirito noticed that someone with a minigun had appeared. He was too far away to do anything about it, and he couldn't run away because he would be riddled with bullets. So, instead, he brought up his handgun and aimed it at the man's head when he had an opening. If he fired now, he would be safe. Feeling confident, Kirito pulled the trigger.

It was stuck.

Eyes widening, Kirito looked down at his gun and attempted to pull his finger back. It wouldn't budge. What the hell? Did Heathcliff give him a defective gun?

The swordsman stared at the minigun. He was so dead.

Apparently, this was not so, because the instant he thought that, a hole appeared in the gunman's head and he shattered.

Currently, Sinon was on top of the rock formation she had pointed out, laying on her stomach. She had been sniping this whole time, and was very pleased with her new gun. Even though she was still wearing her glasses, it was easy to see through the scope. The action was smooth as well, with less of a kickback. She really thought that Kayaba had outdone himself this time.

Now, she was watching Kirito through her scope. He was staring at the place where she had just sniped the guy with the minigun, saving his life. Slowly, he turned his head toward the place where he knew she was shooting from. He seemed to look right at her as he gave her a nervous smile and an equally nervous wave.

Sinon smiled, shaking her head, as if asking herself what to do with him. Typical Kirito. She had seen what had happened, he had tried to use his gun but failed miserably. She would have to give him another lesson about firearms.

Just then, Kirito was attacked by more soldiers and was forced to resume fighting. Sinon continued sniping, the calm of aiming her gun and pulling the trigger causing her thoughts to wander. Unfortunately, an image flashed through her mind. A bloody Kirito was on the ground, his body still, face as pale as death.

Sinon's heart clenched painfully. Kirito had always done the protecting, even if he knew he would probably die. But now that Sinon was who she was, it was her turn. Now she had the ability to protect him.

* * *

Later, Sinon met Kirito back down in the sand.

"How's your gun?" He asked.

She gave a small smile. "Great. Better than Hecate I. What about you?"

He shrugged. "The sword is fine I guess, but it's something that I'll need time to get used to. I think the gun is broken though."

"Really? Let me see it."

Obediently, Kirito took his gun off his belt and handed it over. Sinon inspected it briefly before aiming it into the distance. A loud explosion rang out as she pulled the trigger.

"It looks fine to me." She said, handing it back.

Kirito gaped at her. "What? I don't understand."

"Did you remember to take the safety off?"

Her friend stared at her for a second before finally face palming. ". . . Dammit." Sinon laughed as Kirito looked back up at her. "Should I practice aiming before we go then?"

Sinon thought about it. "No. I think you should be fine. It doesn't have much kickback. Anyway, it's almost 18:00."

Kirito's eyes widened. "Oh yeah. Visiting hours end soon."

The sniper grabbed his hand. "Well? Come on!" She quickly rushed him out of the room, turning off their training program as she went. Heathcliff met them in the next room.

"How was it?"

"Great." Sinon answered. "We'll take them."

The man nodded. "Good. They should come in great use in the future."

"Well now that we've seen these new toys." Kirito said, almost impatiently. "Do you think we could leave now? We want to see her before going home."

Kayaba eyed them for a moment, and it looked as if he would deny their request.

"Alright. I don't see why not."

* * *

The hospital seemed cold and empty as Sinon and Kirito were led along its halls. This was due to several reasons, like the fact that most of the staff had gone home. But another was because Kirito was glaring at their guide in disgust. His name was Nobiyuki Sugou. Kirito hated him, more than he did other people. Normal people were evil and manipulative, but Sugou was practically the scum of the Earth. He was greedy and arrogant as well as evil in a sick way. Kirito could not understand how he was allowed into Heathcliff's inner circle. He didn't have anything like his leader's calm, collected intelligence. He was the kind of person you wanted to keep women and children away from. But apparently, he had _something _to offer, because he was put in charge of this hospital and the research going on there in collaboration with RCT Progress.

Sugou led them along and finally arrived at the room they had wanted. He typed in a code and the door slid open.

"You have ten minutes." He informed them before walking away.

Kirito eyed him warily before following Sinon through the door. Inside was a small observation room with nothing but a large pane of glass on the left side. On the other side of the glass, was a quarantined hospital room with a bunch of equipment and a single bed inside. Kirito stood by Sinon at the glass and looked at the person in the bed. She was a small, frail looking girl, with short brown hair and what Kirito knew to be brown eyes (she was sleeping). Despite the way she looked, this girl was only fifteen, a year younger than the two visiting her. The reason she looked so aged was because of one, cruel reason: cancer.

"Yuuki." Sinon whispered.

As if she had heard her name being called, Yuuki stirred before waking up. Her eyes fluttered open as she came to stare at the two people on the other side of the glass. Her face lit up instantly, her eyes and smile brightening up the room, the way Kirito remembered she always did. At heart, Yuuki was like a child, playful and innocent, brightening everyone's day with her laugh and her smile.

"Onii-chan. Onee-chan." She whispered hoarsely.

"Hey, Yuuki." Sinon said with a gentle smile. "How are you doing?"

They could see her shrug. "I've been better. How are you guys? How's training?"

"We're ok, I guess." Kirito said, deciding to join the conversation. "And training's not half bad, but it would be better if you were there."

Sinon nodded in agreement. "We miss you, Yuuki. It's not the same without you."

". . . I miss you guys too." Yuuki admitted sadly.

It was quiet as a feeling of sadness swept over the three of them. If it hadn't been for Yuuki's illness, Sinon and Kirito would be seeing her every day. But because she had to stay in the hospital for treatment that hadn't been fully tested yet, they could only see her with permission.

Kirito suddenly put his hand to the glass, his smile returning. "Just get well soon so we can be together again, ok?"

Besides Sinon, Yuuki was the person he liked most in the world. The three of them shared a past, a painful one but it had led him to meet the people who now meant the most to him. And he wouldn't trade them for anything.

Sinon put her hand next to his, a smile on her face as well. "We'll always be waiting for you. Remember that."

Yuuki smiled at this, her hand lifting up. It stretched toward the window, the barrier between them that was so close and yet so far away at the same time. "Ok. I will."

**EDITED!**

**A/N: Hey! Happy New Year! So i know that this has taken a while, but i had writer's block and school started again earlier this week so I've been busy. Anyway, i hoped you liked this chapter. I'm not sure if it lived up to the last one, but i think it's okay. It's mostly a development chapter for both the characters and the setting. Leave a review please and i will see you next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Shadow of Things to Come

Chapter 3: The Shadow of Things to Come

"Kirito? . . . Kirito . . . Hey, Kirito!"

"Huh?" The boy in question asked. He was leaning against the dinner table, staring at the screen in front of him intently. On it, were several of the many documents Yui had managed to compile about Mintendo Corporation.

Sinon stood next to him, her hands on her hips. "We've been looking at this stuff for hours now. I think it's time we go to bed."

Kirito was still looking at the window-screen. "I'd prefer if we got this job done as soon as possible."

The girl sighed. Kirito could be so stubborn sometimes. Of course, she could be that way too, but she preferred it when she was the only one. She looked around briefly before walking into the living room and sitting on the couch.

"At least sit over here with me?" She asked.

Kirito glanced over at her. Oh no. She was giving him the eyes. There was no saying 'no' to that.

". . . Fine." He replied. Taking a PAD (similar to the 'tablet' from a couple decades ago, only thinner and see-through) from the table, Kirito went to the window and swiped a few documents onto the smaller device. Then he turned the larger one off before going to sit next to Sinon. She hugged his arm as she peered at what he was looking at.

"So what have we found out so far?"

"Well, we now know that the company has several warehouses throughout Tokyo, but their main building is just north of the city, right on the edge of enemy territory. We also know that the main employees work in that building, but the CEO is out of the country right now, and should be gone for a week or two."

"What about security?"

"They have guards, video cameras, the usual. It should be easy enough to penetrate. The question is 'how do we do that?'"

"Hm." Sinon hummed thoughtfully. "We can't just assassinate the CEO anymore. His employees would just continue and pick another president."

"Before we take any action, I think we should check out the warehouses, make sure that we have the right addresses."

Sinon nodded against Kirito's shoulder, and it was quiet for a few minutes. She watched as Kirito's eyes scanned over the screen, his eyes moving back and forth. "So are you going to go to bed anytime soon?"

"In a few minutes."

"Daddy." Yui's voice sounded in a stern tone. "You shouldn't stay up too late. It's not healthy."

Kirito chuckled. "Don't worry, Yui. I'll go to bed soon."

"Hm." Sinon didn't really believe him. "Well, tell me when you're ready."

The boy looked at her. "You don't have to wait for me, you know."

"I know."

Kirito shrugged. "Alright."

So, the two of them sat there for a long while, Sinon leaning against Kirito as she watched him work. After a while, she yawned and repositioned herself so that she was lying down, using Kirito's leg as a pillow. Absent-mindedly, his hand began to stroke her hair. Sinon smiled, finding that soothing.

When Kirito realized that it was about midnight, he put his PAD down on the armrest and stretched his arms into the air.

"Sinon." He said. "Time for bed." When she didn't answer, he frowned and leaned forward so he could see her face. "Sinon?" Then he realized that she was sound asleep. He gave a sigh. "And you tell me that _I'm_ the irresponsible one."

As carefully as he could, Kirito slipped his leg out from under Sinon's head so he could stand up. Once he had accomplished that, he stood in front of the sofa, looking down at his partner.

"Mommy fell asleep." Yui whispered. Her mobile unit had just walked up behind Kirito's elbow.

"Mm-hm."

"What are we going to do?"

Kirito looked at the sleeping girl a little longer. "I should probably carry her to bed. You want to help me?"

Yui smiled. "Uh-huh."

Bending down, Kirito took Sinon's glasses off and hooked them onto the collar of his shirt. Then, he scooped Sinon up, bridal style. Her head lolled onto his chest as her arms crossed over her stomach. Kirito couldn't help but smile to himself as he began to climb the stairs. As he reached the top, Yui opened the door for him and he stepped inside.

Sinon's room was, for lack of a better word, simple. It's not that it was plain, Kirito actually found it to be nice, it was just set up more for function than for style. That's just the way Sinon was, not really caring how things looked. Rather, she cared more about convenience and if something performed adequately. A bed was in the corner with plain sheets on it. Similar colored curtains were hanging from her window. A closet was opposite the foot of the bed, and a table sat just under the window.

As Yui scurried over to pull the covers back, Kirito walked up to the bed. As he came to stand by the table, he saw the picture frame standing next to the lamp. It was a picture of him, Sinon, and Yuuki. It had been taken when Kayaba had first taken them in, and Yuuki was still healthy. She was in the center, Kirito and Sinon on either side of her. They were all smiling, though, Kirito looked a little paler than he should have. It wasn't his fault, he had still been recovering at the time.

Kirito braced his knee on the bed as he laid Sinon down. He had to pry her fingers from his shirt, but other than that, it was easy, for she was really light. After he pulled the blanket over her and set her glasses on the table, Kirito watched her sleep for a minute before turning to leave.

As Kirito quietly left the room, Yui spoke.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah, Yui?" He asked as he softly shut the door.

"You care about mommy a lot, don't you?"

He blinked down at her, surprised. "Yeah, I guess. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason." Yui said with a smile, grabbing Kirito's hand. As she led him down the stairs, she began to speak again. "Now, daddy, you need to go to sleep. It is currently 0:18, and you have a lot to do tomorrow."

"Yes ma'am. I'll be sure to go to bed right away."

"You better." Yui said sternly, puffing her cheeks out in seriousness.

Kirito laughed, putting his hand on Yui's head affectionately. "I promise. Don't worry. Now you shut down for the night too, ok?"

"Ok." Yui smiled again. "Good night." She said, giving her 'dad' a hug.

"Good night, Yui." He said before she scurried to her usual chair. As he watched her curl up, he decided that he should probably do as he promised, or else Yui would be cross with him. And so, he made his way to his bedroom, but not before grabbing a PAD along the way.

* * *

_The little boy kicked and squirmed, trying to get away from his captors. He didn't know who they were or where he was, but he knew that he didn't belong there with them._

_ "Stay still, brat!" One of the men said, obviously annoyed. The little boy squirmed for a little while longer before finally growing still. His dark, onyx eyes were intense, full of defiance, but as they looked around, his spirit left him a little. _

_They were going down a dark hallway now. It was lined with multiple cages on each side, seeming to go on forever, but what was most disturbing, were the many eyes staring out at him. They were all children's eyes. Some looked out at him pleadingly, their faces full of despair. As the boy's eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, he began to notice the children who weren't looking out of the bars. Instead, they sat against the wall in the back, staring listlessly at the wall or the stone floor, their expressions devoid of any emotion at all._

_Eventually, the men stopped and one let go of the boy, but only to unlock and open an empty cage. They threw him in unceremoniously before slamming the door shut and locking it again with a loud 'click'._

_Impatiently brushing his dark hair out of his eyes, the boy ran to the bars, clutching them with his hands. "Hey." he growled darkly, but they were already a long way down the hall. "Hey!" the boy tried again. He had something to ask them about. He didn't care if they would beat him for it, but he had to know what happened to her._

"_They won't listen to you."_

_The boy whirled around at the voice and his eyes landed on a girl in the cage next to his. She had short, black hair that fell around her shoulders and brown eyes that seemed dull and lifeless as they stared at the ground. All the boy could do was stare at her as she continued to speak._

"_It doesn't matter how hard you plead, or how loud you scream, they won't listen. Trust me, I've tried. And it doesn't matter if you don't belong here either, no one does, and yet here we are."_

"_. . . What do they want with us?"_

_The girl shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe they just want us to die."_

_The boy just sat on the floor, thinking her words over. That couldn't be all to the story. There _had_ to be something else. But for the girl to have that mindset . . . it made the boy feel sorry for her._

_He crawled over to the side of his cage, so that he was as close to the girl as possible, and sat down._

"_My name's Kazuto Kirigaya. What's yours?"_

_ The girl just looked at him, her eyes slightly narrowed. It was quiet for a while, and Kazuto thought that she wouldn't answer._

_ " . . . Asada. Shino Asada."_

* * *

Kirito's eyes suddenly opened and he came to stare at the ceiling. He hadn't woken up because of an alarm or because of some internal clock. It had been the dream. But it wasn't simply the dream that had woken him, he had had plenty of dreams that had made him relive his past before. No, it's what came after.

He sighed. It slightly amused him to think that his subconscious had woken him in an act of mercy, but he knew that the dream would continue when he went back to sleep again.

Feeling restless, Kirito sat up and got out of bed. He didn't waste time getting dressed for the day, he just walked up the stairs in his night cloths. It was still, and very quiet there. Everything was how he had left it the previous night, even Yui was still asleep in her chair. A soft light was slowing entering in through the windows as the sun rose in the cloud covered sky. It was a serene white in the city below, informing the swordsman that it had snowed in the night.

Kirito went to the window and looked down at the snow-blanketed buildings. He felt itchy in an irritated sort of way, like he needed to move, do something. Finally, he pushed open one of the windows. Chilling air hit him like a truck, but Kirito didn't mind. To him, it felt nice. He stood there for a while, leaning against the divide between the lower and upper parts of the glass. The upper part was almost like a small roof or awning, shielding him from any drifting snowflakes.

"Daddy, are you ok?"

Kirito turned his head to look behind him. Yui's mobile unit was standing there, looking up at him in an innocent, worried way. He tried to smile at her. "Good morning."

She was quiet for a second. "Your heart rate is more rapid than normal and your pupils are dilated."

The dark-haired boy stared at her for a moment before sighing and looking out into the winter air. "I guess I'm not ok then."

He looked down when he felt a tug on his shirt and saw Yui beside him. "Do you feel like talking about it?"

Kirito gave her a small smile as he drew her into a side hug. "No. It's just . . . I had a dream. It's always the same one playing in my head over and over again. There's not much to say anymore."

". . . Have you told mommy about them?"

He looked down at her. "Sinon doesn't need anything else to worry about."

"But maybe she can help you. She'd want to if she knew."

Kirito opened his mouth to answer, paused, then closed it again. He knew that Yui was right.

Suddenly, they heard the door upstairs open and close, followed by soft footsteps padding down the stairs.

". . . Morning guys." Sinon muttered as she reached the foot of the stairs, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Morning."

"Good morning, mommy."

Sinon looked from Kirito to Yui, almost suspiciously, as she came to stand beside them. "What are you guys doing up already?"

Kirito shrugged. "I was planning on working a little before school, but Yui kept me from it." This wasn't exactly a lie, earlier he had been considering researching more about their target.

"Well good for you, Yui." Sinon said, rubbing the girl on the head affectionately. "He works too much anyway." Yui smiled in the adorable way that only she could do. Kirito smiled at them until he noticed that Sinon was trying to keep herself from shivering as she rubbed her arms up and down. He turned back to the window and collapsed the stand that held it open and gently let it down.

"Why don't we have breakfast?" He asked.

"That sounds nice." Sinon smiled as she turned to go set the table. As her back was turned, Yui looked at Kirito with a meaningful expression. He just smiled at her and placed his hand on her head affectionately before following Sinon into the kitchen.

It was better if they kept his dreams a secret.

* * *

The wind whipped around them as Kirito wove his motorcycle between cars and down the street. Sinon was sitting behind him, their gear right behind her.

"Hey, Sinon." Kirito muttered.

"Hm?" She asked, leaning forward slightly to face him.

"I was thinking . . . what if we made a mobile holographic system?"

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Well, it could have any number of uses, but mainly I want to make it for Yui."

"Yui?"

"Yeah. Her mobile unit can only stay inside the apartment because that's where her main data is stored and where she draws power from. Maybe one day we can take her out."

Sinon rested her head against Kirito's back. "That would be great. But wouldn't there be problems keeping her materialized out in the open?"

"I've thought about that." Kirito said as the bike turned a corner. "Holograms are light particles held together by force fields, and depending on their programming, holograms can be solid or tangible. It's like in the training room, the landscape is programmed to be solid while certain characters allow real objects to pass through them."

The sniper furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What characters?"

Kirito shrugged. "You know, like bystanders who aren't important when we train for real life situations."

". . . Like bombings."

"Yup. Maybe we could use that setting to attach a device that will hold Yui's solid matrix together while she's away from a holographic system." Sinon thought about this as Kirito slowed to a stop in an alleyway between two skyscrapers. While the bike idled, Sinon took off her helmet and slipped off of the back with an attaché case.

"You really like that case." Kirito commented as he took the helmet.

"Well of course." Sinon said. "It holds the gun components better than a bag does."

"If you say so." Kirito said. Maybe he couldn't really appreciate that because he was a swordsman, not a gunman. "I'll be back later."

"I know. Be careful, Kirito."

"I'm always careful."

Sinon raised an eyebrow.

". . . Ok. I'm careful most of the time."

The girl still didn't look convinced, but apparently she found that to be an acceptable answer and dropped the subject. They both waved in farewell as the motorcycle sped away.

* * *

Kirito went to scope out three warehouses that night. He would drive to each one, hide his bike in an alley, and go to the warehouse under the guise of the Black Swordsman. Out in the open, he was Kirito in an attempt to keep his two identities separate. Normally, he would have been really on edge doing this with the chance of getting captured and/or discovered, but Sinon was watching him from across town, ready to radio him if she saw anything. She was like a second pair of eyes, but more versatile.

"They're in this one." Kirito said into his radio. He was at the last warehouse, staring at it from an alley nearby.

"It has to be." Sinon's voice crackled back. "The other warehouses came up empty." This was true, searching the others, all Kirito had been able to find were consuls and video games.

"Let's just get this over with." Kirito muttered as he made his way over. "Watch out for extra security, Sinon."

"Got it."

Kirito crept toward the warehouse, careful to keep in the shadows. He scanned the building. Thankfully, there were no guards, but he did spot cameras hanging from the eaves. As the cameras rotated, Kirito rushed up to a side door. He drew Elucidator from its sheath and slashed the chain. It broke with a loud 'clink' and dangled from the handle.

Once inside, Kirito rushed to the power box and shorted it out. Everything went black. The backup generators would kick-in in ten minutes, but this would give ample to look around without having to worry about cameras.

"What do you see in there?" His radio hissed.

The boy sighed. "More crates." He said as he walked over to them. He looked said items over before pulling out Elucidator and fitting it under the cover of one of the boxes. With one shove downward, the top came off, and all Kirito had to do was slide it off and onto the floor.

"Bingo." He said, for inside he found several dozen ammunitions magazines. "Found 'em." Kirito said as he pressed the button to speak on the radio at his hip.

"Finally." Sinon muttered. "Now place the tracker and get out of there."

Kirito selected a magazine and popped a bullet out. Then, he pulled an identical one from his pocket and replaced it. A few minutes later, Sinon's voice crackled out of his radio again.

"Kirito, a car just pulled up front."

"What?" The boy asked as he finished putting the lid of the crate back on.

"You must have triggered a silent alarm."

Kirito went to duck behind more crates. "How many are there?"

"About six, but there may be more in back."

"Six huh? Don't shoot. I may be able to sneak out." They should be easy to handle. But the problem was how much blood would be spilt if he dealt with them in his usual way. It would blow his cover and the point of this mission was to go in and get out, leaving no trace.

The front entrance was pushed open and several gunmen rushed in. They ran to different parts of the room, guns drawn as they surveyed the area. But that's not what caught Kirito's attention. Following the soldiers in was someone who was obviously their commanding officer. The uniform was a different, red and white design, and a silver rapier hung at her waist. However, the detail that stood out the most was this girl's long, chestnut-brown hair.

Asuna Yuuki? She was with the Union?

Kirito was utterly surprised by this. He hadn't even the slightest suspicion that this girl was with the enemy. And how was she even a high ranking officer?

He pushed his surprise out of his mind. He would have to speculate later. Right now, he had to focus on escaping. He looked at his surroundings. If he timed it right, he could slip out the way he had come and none of these people would be any wiser.

The boy tensed up, readying himself to pounce at the best opportunity.

"Gotcha."

Kirito felt something cold touch the back of his head.

"Turn around. Hands up."

Slowly, Kirito did as he was told. "Don't shoot." He said before he discreetly took his hand off of the button on his radio and put his hands in the air.

"No funny business. Got me?" The man asked. He looked scruffy, to say the least. He had a bandana tied around his head and a small, scraggly beard.

"I got him!" The man said loudly as he moved Kirito out into the open. The other soldiers turned and cautiously trained their guns on him. Soon, Kirito was in the center of the room, completely surrounded.

"Good work." Asuna said from across the room.

Kirito looked around at them all in a calculating fashion, contemplating his situation.

"Well if it isn't the Black Swordsman."

The boy in question looked up at her nonchalantly. "Yep. Looks like you caught me. And who are you, if I may ask?"

"Lightning Flash Asuna." She answered coldly.

"Lightning Flash, huh?" Kirito mused. "And that uniform, don't you think that's all a little gaudy?"

"I could say that your black outfit is a bit cliché and that you look kinda like a girl, but does it matter?" Asuna asked. "We have you now so either come quietly or I will bring you in by force."

A vein pulsed in Kirito's temple. It's not that he _chose _to look this way. Heathcliff had, saying that it was to leave an impression upon their enemies. They really had to have a talk.

"Take me where? And for that matter, how are you going to do that, _Lightning Flash?_ We both know that I could take out your entire squadron in the blink of an eye."

The girl narrowed her eyes and pulled out the sword from her hip.

"Oh ho." Kirito taunted. "_You'll_ take me on then?" He asked as he pulled out his black sword. Neither of them said anymore as they took up position, eyeing each other, the soldiers knowing to stay out of the fight.

Asuna attacked first, sprinting at Kirito with her rapier aimed at his chest. The boy was slightly surprised by her speed as he parried her blow. He countered by slashing his sword downward. Asuna ducked and lunged, aiming her sword for Kirito's shoulder. It would have struck home, but Kirito sidestepped, albeit only enough to have it graze him. He returned the favor though, by striking a blow to her leg.

Meanwhile, Asuna's squadron was looking on in awe. They had never known anyone to even come close to matching either one of these legendary swordsman. Now they were battling it out, seeming to move like blurs across the floor.

The two swords clashed again, this time locking together. Asuna glared with obvious hatred while Kirito looked at her with a neutral expression.

"You've never killed before, have you?'

"What?" Asuna growled.

Kirito looked at her for a second. "It's in your eyes. They don't have the intensity of someone who has deliberately killed before. Also, you have been purposely avoiding any fatal blows this whole time."

"I don't need your critique." Asuna spat before she shoved her sword upward, pushing her opponent's weapon away from her. Then, she lunged again, this time stabbing Kirito in the shoulder. He grunted in frustration and pain before he decided to give this battle his all. He slashed downward. Asuna blocked. He slashed again. The girl blocked once more. Soon, Kirito was sending blow after blow at the Lightning Flash, his strength along with his sudden speed temporarily overwhelming her. All she could do was block, and sometimes not even that. Kirito was moving so fast and striking so hard, she was having trouble holding her sword. On top of that, Kirito was beginning to land blows. Her legs, arms and even torso were beginning to get damaged.

Before Asuna could recover from this sudden burst of power, Kirito got the upper hand.

The Lightning Flash's sword flew into the air and clattered onto the concrete. Kirito smirked at her. "I think I've won this fight." He said, and just when the soldiers were about to open fire, he slipped something out of his pocket and threw it onto the ground.

A smokescreen diffused out of the small device, rapidly engulfing them all. Asuna began to cough violently, along with the others. Their eyes stung and it was impossible to see anything. Apparently, Kirito wasn't bothered by this one bit because, when the smoke cleared, he was gone.

"Spread out and find him!" Asuna yelled. The soldiers scrambled, spreading out and going in pursuit of the Black Swordsman. Only Asuna stayed behind, along with the man who had found Kirito behind the crates. "Klein, what are you still doing here?" Asuna snapped.

"Trying to keep my commander from hurting herself." Klein deadpanned. "Sit down, _Commander_. You're bleeding."

The Lightning Flash hesitated before she begrudgingly did as she was told, knowing that she was bleeding badly. Klein walked over to her and knelt down, taking out a small first-aid kit. As he set to work, he noticed that Asuna looked distracted, staring out into the distance as if she were contemplating something.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he cleaned her wound.

". . . Nothing." Asuna muttered. "Just thinking." She continued to stare into the shadows, a vision of the Black Swordsman stuck in her brain.

_Could he really be just like me?_

**A/N: Ok. So i got a review asking about the holograms right? First of all, let me say that i am not coming up with all of that on my own. I watched Star Trek: Voyager recently and it inspired a bunch of futuristic tech. Anyway, Kirito being the awesomely cool guy he is was able to tell you a bit about the basics of holographic technology in this story. On a slightly different note, i went back and made the "training chamber" in the last chapter a full soccer field in size. I'm usually not worried about little details because i like to give the mind off the reader a little creative freedom, but half a field IS small when i think about it. And anyway, the point of the room is to give the illusion that the person using it is in a larger space.**

**Also, i know that people have asked for more action, and trust me, there WILL be more, but action will not be the main focus of this story. Personally, i like stories that have action and a good plot in them rather than just a bunch of fight scenes .**

**Well i hope that i have cleared stuff up and that you liked this chapter (and the fight scene that i had in it. i am usually better at those). Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4: Snow and Scars

Chapter 4: Snow and Scars

"Ow!"

Sinon rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a baby. Hold still," she scolded, dragging the boy in front of her back over so she could treat him.

Currently, the two of them were in the bathroom, Kirito with his shirt off, standing in front of Sinon who was sitting on the bathroom counter. Kirito was squirming, his hands tightly gripping the counter on either side of Sinon as he tried to stay still. She was dabbing at his shoulder, which had a gaping, bleeding hole in it.

The swordsman hissed in pain as the antiseptic wipe touched his shoulder again.

The girl on the counter smacked him upside the head. "Stop complaining! This is your fault anyway, you know."

"Hitting me on the head isn't going to help." He muttered in reply.

"Maybe it will knock some sense into you! How could you do that? Why would you fight them and not let me help you?"

Kirito looked up, his dark, onyx eyes meeting Sinon's stern, grayish-brown ones. He knew she was upset, from the moment he drove to pick her up after the warehouse incident, he knew. He could even see it in her eyes right now. She was angry with him for telling her not help him. She was angry at him for staying to fight people whose capabilities they didn't know. She was angry with him for getting stabbed and losing a lot of blood. But most of all, she was upset that she had had to worry about him as he did that, unable to see him or help him. He could have died and she wouldn't have been able to do anything about it.

The dark-haired boy softened a little bit as he looked into those fierce eyes. He began to feel guilty. He had genuinely made her worry about him.

"I'm sorry." He murmured, his hands gripping the edge of the counter tightly. "I didn't mean to worry you."

". . . You're an idiot. Did you know that?"

A small chuckle escaped him. "So you've told me."

"Just don't do anything so reckless again."

"I'll try," was his response before he received another smack on the head, though this one was not as harsh as before.

As she began to treat his wound again, Sinon said "So, are you going to explain yourself?"

"…I guess I have to." Kirito sighed, now looking back up at Sinon. "Asuna Yuuki was there."

The girl on the counter finished dabbing at his shoulder and put the towel down beside her. "I thought I saw her, but I wasn't sure," came her surprised answer, "What was she doing there? Hold still." She added, taking out a sterile needle and putting it to his wound.

"Apparently she's with the Union." Kirito continued, putting all of his focus on talking with Sinon to distract himself from the needle piercing his skin. "I asked you not to shoot because I wanted to learn everything I could _while_ I could."

"...I guess that makes sense." Sinon mumbled as she pulled the thread tight.

Kirito winced slightly. He almost wished that she would have used a local anesthetic, but he didn't really like that stuff or really any anesthesia of any kind. He didn't feel comfortable with the idea of purposefully dulling his mind or his senses. The concept didn't make any sense.

After Sinon had finally tied the thread, cut it, and wrapped bandages around the freshly closed wound, Kirito gratefully stepped back to allow his friend to get down. He offered his hand in an attempt to be a gentleman. Dark eyes scrutinized his offer from behind half-rimmed, oval-shaped glasses before she took his hand and allowed him to assist her off the counter.

"Am I forgiven?" Kirito asked hopefully as his partner landed gracefully onto the tile floor.

Sinon looked away, still a little upset, but she knew she could never stay mad at him. He was her best friend. "I suppose." She said as she began to walk out the door. "By the way, you're still cooking tonight."

Kirito sighed, his shoulders slumped slightly. "Right."

* * *

_Kazuto looked through the bars of the cage, watching his neighbor, Shino. She was just sitting there in the corner, staring down at the floor with her knees pulled up to her chest._

_ The little boy didn't know how long he had been in there for, maybe two or three days, but it had felt like a very long time. No one had come by to let him out, and he certainly wasn't given anything to do. He wasn't even given more than a scrap of food once every day and frankly, that just made the days drag out longer. The fact that Shino wouldn't speak to him wasn't helping either._

_ After a while of just staring at her, Kazuto crawled over so that he was practically sitting next to her. If she knew that he was there, she didn't acknowledge it, she just continued to stare blankly at the stone floor._

_ "Uh, Shino?"_

_No answer. _

_Kazuto cleared his throat and tried again. "Shino?"_

_She still didn't answer._

_He knew that his voice was weak from lack of use, but it shouldn't have been _that_ bad. Then again, his throat was probably straining with dehydration as well. He tried one more time. "Shino!"_

_ The dark-haired girl whipped her head around, her eyes narrowed in irritation. "What?" She snapped._

_ Kazuto just blinked at her. "Hi."_

_ Shino stared at him for a second before turning back around with a huff._

_ "Shino—" Kazuto began to complain._

_ "Stop it! I didn't say that you could call me that! Why can't you just leave me alone?"_

_ "Well, you're my friend. I just want to talk to you."_

_ "I didn't agree to be your friend! Why would I want to be? I hate you." Shino snarled. Seriously, why couldn't this Kirigaya kid leave her alone? He annoyed her to no end. His constant attempts to strike up a conversation with her were really starting to get on her nerves._

_ Kazuto rested his chin in his hands. "That's not very nice. At least Sachi's nice to me." He sighed, referring to the girl that was in the cell on the other side of his. Sachi was a little girl that was about his and Shino's age. She had chin-length black hair, bluish-gray eyes, and a mole on her left cheek. She had arrived a few hours after Kazuto had, looking pretty scared. After a while, Kazuto had talked to her in an attempt to cheer her up and she had instantly warmed up to him._

_ "Well then Sachi is an idiot." Shino muttered before looking at the ground again. "There's no point in being nice or making friends in here. It's all pointless."_

_ Kazuto just sighed and leaned against the wall. He was glad that Sachi was asleep at the moment and hadn't heard anything that Shino had said. Why was Shino like this anyway? Kazuto could see that they were living in terrible conditions without any real food or water, but something about the way she acted made him believe that there was more going on than what he had seen._

_ Suddenly, he heard loud footsteps coming from down the hall. Kazuto eyed the bars to his door warily, waiting for the men to show themselves. He was expecting them to bring in another prisoner, but instead, he could hear metal screeching as the cages were being opened. There were rough demands shouted as children were forced to walk out of their prisons and down the hallway._

_ Finally, they reached Shino's cell. The girl stood up and walked over to the door as they opened it. She showed no signs of rebellion as she joined the crowd of children. Soon after, the men went to Kazuto's cell. They opened it and he just sat stubbornly in the corner. There was no way he was willingly doing anything they wanted. They ended up having to go in and drag him out. The boy roughly yanked his arms out of their grasp as he was pulled out of the cage. He glared at them in distaste before he realized that some of them had gone into Sachi's cage and had practically thrown her into the hall, trembling._

_ Kazuto quickly rushed to her side and pulled her up. "Are you ok, Sachi?" He asked in concern._

_ The girl smiled at him weakly. "I'm fine" was all she could manage to say before they were shoved along with an angry "move it!"_

_ Kazuto had no idea where they were being carted off to as they walked, but after a while, the mystery of their destination had left his mind as he felt overly conscious of the number of bodies pressing in around him. It was overwhelming after spending so much time in his cell._

_ Before long, Kazuto found himself in a large, white room. He thought it was curious, to say the least. There was a sort of track field ringing around it and several empty patches between the wall and the path at certain intervals. It took him a moment to realize that the other kids were being forced to run on the track after going through what looked like a security line._

_ Soon, it was Kazuto's and Sachi's turns. They were forced up to a pair of men who briefly checked the weird white collars that had been shoved around their necks upon arrival. Once Kazuto's had been checked, he was told to start running, but he hesitated briefly, not wanting to leave Sachi behind._

_ "I said run!" The man in front of him ordered again before shoving him onto the track. Kazuto stumbled slightly as his bare feet met the surprisingly rocky terrain. He attempted to slow himself and stop his momentum, but as soon as he slowed an electric shock coursed through his body. It was pain like he had never felt before, almost like millions of needles were being jabbed into his skin and insides. It caught him off-guard and made him stumble faster. As soon as he gained speed the pain stopped. _

_It went on like this for what seemed like hours. Every time Kazuto could feel the exhaustion creeping up on him, he attempted to slow down, but every time his heartrate slowed even a bit, an electric shock coursed through his body and he tried to run faster. Soon, every other thought was driven from his mind, all he could focus on was keeping the pain away._

_At some point, however, Kazuto turned subconsciously, not really thinking about what he was doing, and almost tripped at what he saw. Sachi was on the ground as if she had just fallen. Her frame was trembling with each labored breath she took. It only got worse when the collar began to dole out its punishment. Soon, Sachi's body was convulsing as electricity shot through her body. A man from outside the track impatiently went up to her and kicked her in the side._

"_Hey! Get up!" He ordered, kicking her again. Sachi didn't answer as she rolled onto her side, her muscles too seized with pain to be able to say anything._

_Another man walked up to her. "Don't bother. She won't make it anyway, just get rid of her already."_

_The first man pulled a gun from his jacket._

_A loud bang rang throughout the room as the man put a bullet through Sachi's head._

* * *

Kirito woke with a start. He sat up with a gasp, his heart pounding rapidly against his ribs, threatening to beat out of his chest. The boy stared wide-eyed at the wall, his forehead sticky with sweat as the last bits of his dream replayed through his head. After realizing where and when he was, Kirito pulled his knee up and rested his forehead against it, attempting to calm himself down.

Sachi.

Why? Why did she always have to come back and haunt him in his dreams? Why was she the one that seemed to plague him the most? He had barely known her for three days, yet he still felt completely responsible for her death.

After calming his breathing and suddenly becoming aware of his sweat-soaked clothes, Kirito stiffly climbed out of bed and dragged himself to the bathroom. The first thing he did was splash cold water on his face before leaning onto the sink with his hands and looking into the mirror. He cringed at his pale skin and the bags under his eyes. He really needed to get more sleep. He considered it, but decided against it as he glimpsed the built-in clock at the bottom right-hand corner of the mirror. It was 4:47.

He sighed, closing his eyes tiredly. There was no way he was going to be able to get any decent amount of sleep before it was time to get ready for school. He wouldn't be able to fall asleep fast enough.

The boy peeled his sweaty clothes off of his body in preparation for a shower. As he dropped his garments onto the floor, he glimpsed his torso in the mirror. He stared at himself for a minute, taking in the multiple scars that he had accumulated over the years. He had been gathering a good number ever since he had started to work for Heathcliff, but that was to be expected considering his line of work.

But those scars didn't really matter. Kirito turned slightly, looking for one scar in particular. There, on his side, was a large, jagged line. It started at his hip and went up in a diagonal angle around to his back. Kirito's hand absently went up to the scar, his fingers tracing along the raised, discolored skin.

This was the only scar that truly mattered. This was the only scar that he even felt remotely proud of. The others were meaningless. This one actually had a meaning, a significance that Kirito was proud to bear. He liked this scar.

But Sinon hated it.

After another sigh, Kirito turned to fully face his reflection and glanced at the bandages wrapped around his shoulder and upper body. The blood was starting to soak through the cloth already. The wound was probably going to scar. Kirito went to work on untying it, planning on rebinding his wound after he had showered.

* * *

Kirito looked up at the sky in thought. It was really cloudy overhead, and he wondered whether it was going to snow for a second time that day. After a minute, the dark-haired boy glanced back at his bike, wondering why Sinon wasn't walking beside him. He located her at the curb, kneeling down for some reason.

"Sinon! What are you doing?" He called out.

The girl instantly stood up and rushed over to him. "Nothing! Coming!" She assured him. Kirito was skeptical for a second, thinking that he had seen Sinon tucking something away into her pocket, but dismissed the idea, thinking that he had just imagined it.

Together, the two of them walked up the hospital and through the front entrance. From there, they were met by Sugou Nobuyuki and led up to Yuuki's room. It was eerily silent again as they made their way there. Not many people were on Yuuki's floor anyway, seeing as how her case was a special one.

Before long, Kirito and Sinon were once again led into the observation room with the large pane of glass on one side. The duo looked through it, and were happy to see that Yuuki was feeling the strength to sit up today. The color had slightly come back to her cheeks and she looked regal, almost like royalty, sitting there, leaning up against her pillows.

"Looks, like you're feeling better today." Kirito commented as he came to stand by the glass.

Yuuki smiled at him brightly. "Onii-chan! Yeah, I feel a bit better today."

"So your treatment's been paying off?" Sinon chimed in.

Yuuki nodded. "Yep. The doctors say that I'm improving."

"That's great!" Sinon responded cheerily. It was wonderful to finally see Yuuki with more energy in her. "Oh, before I forget: Yuuki, do you want a weather report?"

"Mm-hm!" Yuuki hummed in excitement, nodding her head for emphasis.

Sinon's smile widened as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a white ball that fit into the palm of her hand. "See? It's you." She said, holding the snowball up to the glass.

Yuuki laughed. "Oh, I get it."

Kirito laughed too. So that's what Sinon had been doing outside in the parking lot.

The boy watched them fondly as the two of them struck up a conversation. A slight smile crept onto his face as his eyes fixed on Sinon's face. She looked happy. So happy compared to how she was eight years ago. She used to be so cold and distant. But now, her laugh and her smile accompanied each and every day.

The boy's eyes slid to Yuuki when he heard her laugh.

Yuuki, on the other hand, had always seemed happy, even when they found out that she was sick. She had even maintained her cheerful demeanor as the cancer seemed to suck the life out of her, draining her energy and turning her skin a sickly pale. It was amazing just to see her like this again. It had been a long time since she had seemed so lively. Maybe her body was finally beating the cancer.

Then, the girls laughed and Kirito felt a warm feeling in his chest.

It was nice for things to finally resemble how they once were.

* * *

"…and Kirito Takahashi."

Kirito blinked as he suddenly came back to reality. He had been aimlessly staring out the window, the class they were in boring him out of his mind. He didn't even remember what subject it was. Economics, maybe?

His train of thought was interrupted again by a shadow looming over him.

"Takahashi-kun?"

Kirito looked up and was met with a pair of chestnut-brow eyes.

"Asuna Yuuki."

The girl's long hair swished slightly as she smiled at him. "Hey."

They stared at each other for a long moment, the atmosphere getting awkward for Kirito fast.

"So…what are you doing here?" He asked, referring to his desk area.

Asuna gave him a weird look. "We're partners…for the project."

Kirito stared some more is surprise. Of all the people in the class, the teacher had to pair him up with _her?_ As he marveled at the misfortune of his circumstances, the teen caught sight of his _actual _partner. Sinon was sitting at her desk a few rows away from him with Asuna's friend, Rika Shinozaki, and she was giving him a meaningful look.

Kirito couldn't help but sigh on the inside.

_Great._

**A/N: Hey! Sorry, I know it's been a long time. I freaked out when I realized I hadn't updated this in two months. I was having writer's block. Well, this was kinda a development chapter. We learn more about Kirito and Sinon's past as we get closer to the action. I hope this chapter was ok though, and that it wasn't cliché or anything. I _am_ going somewhere with all of this though, I'm not just spouting nonsense. Anyway, I hope you can forgive me for the late update. I will try to do better, but I have so many ongoing projects I'm not sure how that will turn out. School is also a pain right now.**

**In response to some reviews: **

**Yes, there will be romance in this story, but not right now. Don't worry though, it will be nothing rated M. That's not how I role. **

**Also, I guess I will get into more on how Sinon and Kirito hate humans. I haven't fully planned that out yet, but it influences the story a great deal.**

**Lastly, I just want to thank you guys for the love and support. This is my most popular SAO story at the moment and I am really excited! Please keep being awesome. Review, please!**


	5. Chapter 5: Rationale

**Chapter 5: Rationale**

Wind and rain came down in cold, freezing sheets through the air, falling from the clouds and lashing at the world below. For once, it wasn't cold enough for the rain to freeze completely, but it still felt ice-cold to the touch. Kirito was glad that he wasn't out in that weather, though he knew that he would have to brave it when going home later. At least he hadn't taken his motorcycle, otherwise he and/or Sinon would have come down with a cold by the time they reached the apartment.

Speaking of his partner, Kirito shifted his currently red eyes down to the girl laying on the ground beside him. She was sporting her disguise as well, dark hair now powder blue and her eyes were indigo, not their usual vexing color (Kirito sometimes had a hard time deciding whether her true eye color was a stormy gray or a dark brown). Her new rifle, Hecate II, was in her arms pointed out of a window in the stairway of an abandoned office building.

There were a lot of buildings like this, especially around the Tokyo area. With the war going on, people were in a state of unrest, _fear. _Naturally they didn't have the time or luxury to indulge in goods and products that they usually did when they were too busy cowering within their homes, praying for the war to pass. So, with the decrease in consumers, people lost their jobs, companies went bankrupt, leaving behind the empty shells of the buildings that housed said companies to nature and the ravages of war.

Many a town and city have been abandoned because of this, or simply because battles were being waged within them. People lost their homes on more than one occasion either because they could not afford to pay rent, or simply because their livelihoods had been blown to smithereens. Quite literally.

Kirito's jaw clenched at the thought. This was why he hated people, Japanese in particular. Those fighting for the 'Union,' or, more formally, 'United Japan,' started all this with their lies, their arrogance, and their swiftness to violence. They turned his life, Sinon's, and Yuuki's into hell, and made mankind as he knew it into pathetic lowlifes who either cowered behind each other in fear or murdered and manipulated to get what they wanted. The world would definitely be a better place if not for this damned war.

But that was why he fought on Heathcliff's side, Kayaba's, and his so called 'Republic of Aincrad.' That man had this delusion of a safe place, a world where he ruled in his 'steel castle' and his 'subjects' could live happily, peacefully. Unlike the 'Japanese,' Kayaba believed that the former Japan needed a new beginning, to restart in order to become a better place, so he decided to start a new regime under a new name. Kirito wasn't sure where he personally stood on all that, but it definitely sounded better than the Japan he had come to know. Maybe when Kayaba's vision became reality and Heathcliff came into power, humanity wouldn't be so repulsive and he, Sinon, and Yuuki could lead normal lives in this 'Aincrad.'

But who was he kidding? Would they all really survive until the end of this war?

"Kirito."

The teen was brought out of his thoughts at the sound of his name. Sinon's shoulders had tensed slightly, her eyebrows scrunched as she looked through her scope.

_Right. We're on a mission, _he reminded himself, shaking his head and refocusing on the task at hand. They were there to gather more info on Mintendo Corporation, maybe even find out who the CEO was.

"Yeah? What do you got?"

"Movement 2.5 kilometers west from here. A helicopter just landed on the Mintendo building."

"Helicopter? So _is it _a weapons deal?"

"Not that I can tell." Sinon muttered, her eyebrows furrowed as her scope clicked a few times. "It looks like more of an information broking than a weapons deal. Their handing over a small briefcase. Looks like it could be lined to protect it against electrical interference."

_So Heathcliff was right. Again._

"Can you make out any of their faces?" The swordsman asked. He hadn't moved from where he had been leaning against the wall this whole time. He wasn't even looking at Sinon. His job was to make sure that she was safe while she spied on the enemy, so he was constantly checking the staircase for any movement. He had even rigged cameras throughout the building so that he could check for any activity within the area on a PAD that he brought with him.

"The broker, I recognize." Sinon informed him. "It's Argo the Rat."

Kirito sighed at that. "Not her again."

Argo the Rat. She really was a nuisance. She seemed not to have taken sides with the Union or the Republic in the war, but she gathered information on both and sold it to whoever would pay her. She was playing a dangerous game, but seemed to somehow avoid the danger, only appearing when her pay was ideal.

"I should have taken her out the last time we made a deal with her." The sniper muttered. It was true, Sinon _had _dealt with Argo on occasion because her face wasn't as well-known as Heathcliff's other subordinates, namely Kirito. But more recently, the Republic has tried not to deal with the info broker because it seemed that when they did, the Union somehow got wind of new weapons or strategies the Republic was developing.

Kirito just hummed in agreement, flicking through the different camera feeds linked to his PAD. Nothing seemed amiss so far.

"Huh…that's interesting."

The swordsman glanced down at her. "What is?"

"If I had to guess: African-American male, about 240 cm. tall, late 20s to early 30s in age."

"Really?" Kirito muttered in wonder. It was rare to see a foreigner here with the war going on. Japan had practically closed its borders with the state of utter anarchy it's in. "What else can you tell me about him?"

"Bald, brown goatee, two silver earrings in his left ear, and from the look of him, he's seen his fair share of battles."

Kirito was silent and in thought. He briefly marveled at Sinon's profiling ability, even he couldn't read that much on a person from just glancing at them through a scope. He would have to study them a bit longer than that to infer that kind of information.

"We'll have to check immigration and citizenship records as well as the Mintendo corp. employee roster to see if we can figure out who he is. He may just be the man we're looking for. Anyone else worth mentioning?

Sinon shook her head a little. "No. The rest look like guards. But they _do _remind me of Union soldiers."

"And I assume that you don't have a clear shot."

"The rain doesn't seem to be affecting them, so there must be a force field in place around the building."

Kirito tucked his PAD under his arm, putting his free hand to his chin in thought. "I thought that would be the case. It looks like we won't have any luck with assassination if it's just you sniping…We may have to infiltrate."

Sinon continued to look through her scope as the meeting concluded, Argo the Rat boarding the helicopter with a guard. When everyone dispersed, she sighed and sat up.

"But if we don't figure out who the CEO is, that would be pointless and you would be put in unnecessary danger…Besides, we still need to take out the company in order to terminate the Union's source of weaponry."

Kirito nodded, not saying anything as Sinon opened her attaché case, the clasps clicking open, before she disassembled her rifle and gently placed the pieces inside. Once she had snapped her case shut, she took out her compact and pressed a button so that her appearance reverted back to normal. Her hair and eyes changed color, and her clothes went from her military gear to something more casual, a black skirt, black stockings, black shoes, and a brown coat over a white, button-down shirt. She was wearing a scarf too, one that was black with a small white stripe along its length. It was the same one she wore when she was wearing her disguise, only it was inverted.

When Sinon was done, she picked up her case and looked to Kirito expectantly, but he was still leaning against the wall, deep in thought.

"Kirito?"

"Hm?" The boy hummed, not looking at her.

"Ready to go? There's not much we can do from here right now."

"…Yeah." He finally said, pushing off the wall to stand up straight. He briefly looked down at his tablet and pressed a few buttons. Now, the cameras he set up would short circuit within ten minutes, giving them ample time to leave while he could still watch their exit. The building and surrounding area were deserted, so they should be fine, but being a little cautious never hurt anyone.

With that done, Kirito looked to his partner. "What?" He asked, when he met her slightly disapproving gaze.

"Can you…turn off your disguise now?" She asked, a bit hesitantly. It's not that she hated his 'Black Swordsman' look, it's just that she preferred the way he actually looked. That was the Kirito she knew, and anyway, his current eye color was a bit unnerving (which was the point, but still).

"Oh," he said, glancing at his currently long, dark hair. "Sure." With that, he lifted up his wrist and pressed the button on the side of his watch. A dull light passed over his body, and he changed back to his usual self.

Sinon gave a faint smile. "That's better." She commented fondly. "Now don't forget to put your gear into your bag." She reminded him.

Kirito didn't answer for a moment. He was still staring down at his watch, his eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"Kirito?"

"…Bombings."

Sinon cocked her head in confusion. "What?"

"We'll bomb the company." Kirito said firmly, looking at Sinon in the eye. "That way, it won't really matter if we know who the CEO is. If his company falls, then it will make it a lot harder to deal weapons."

"Right." Sinon responded, crossing her arms thoughtfully. "And with a bombing, there's a good chance that we will get the CEO while he's in the building." She looked up then, appreciative of her partner's talent in strategic thinking. "You came up with that while looking at your watch?"

Kirito shrugged, looking a bit bashful. "It's a small, holographic projector. I got to thinking about when I was talking about holograms and you brought up the times when we trained for bombings."

Sinon smiled, shaking her head. "Your brain works in weird ways."

Kirito chuckled lightly as he took off his long coat, gloves, and weapons, putting them into his duffel bag. Once he did that, he shivered slightly before shrugging on a black jacket, one that matched the rest of his clothes. He zipped up and pulled up the collar so that it shielded his neck from the chilly winter air.

"Okay. Let's head to the bus stop." The teen sighed, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

Sinon gave him a smile. "Ok. Sounds good to me. It's cold out here." She was about to turn, ready to head down the stairs, when Kirito's amused smile caught her attention. "What?"

Still smiling slightly, Kirito walked up to her so that he only stood a few centimeters away, and fondly picked up the end of her scarf, letting the soft material slide through his fingers.

"You're still wearing this?"

Sinon blinked before looking away grumpily, her cheeks dusted pink. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I?"

Kirito still smirked as he walked past her, making his way down the stairs. "No reason. I'm glad that you're wearing it."

"I would hope so." Sinon huffed, her cheeks still pink as she followed him.

* * *

About six years ago, on Christmas Eve, Kirito and Sinon were being transported home from the hospital. Yuuki had just been diagnosed, and they weren't in the brightest of moods. It had been very cold, and dark that night, the snow drifting to the ground in a lazy sort of way. Sinon was sensitive to the cold, she always had been, so even with her heavy coat, she was freezing and her teeth were chattering from how much she was shivering. She was sniffling as well, and not just from the cold. Her eyes were rimmed red from crying over Yuuki's supposedly terminal condition. Sinon was scared,_ angry_, that she might lose her friend, her best friend in the world. She didn't think she would be able to handle it. Her world would shatter into little pieces and she would lose her mind.

And then, suddenly, she felt a warmth envelope her neck and half of her head. Her dark eyes blinked, the uncovered one looking up in surprise to see Kirito, her other best friend, standing before her. He had a small, sad smile on his face as he wrapped a black scarf around her neck, a scarf that smelled just like him.

Sinon stared down at it, her hand going up to tug the scarf off of her face. Her small hand clutched the soft, warm fabric gently, even when it was securely around her neck in the proper fashion.

It was _his _scarf, and he just gave it to her.

And then Kirito used the end of the fabric to wipe her tears, saying five words that impacted Sinon in a way she could not even begin to describe:

"Everything will be ok, Sinon."

* * *

_When Kazuto had seen Sachi leave the world for the afterlife (if there was one), he had immediately tried to turn around, to go back for her, do something, anything. He was in shock, denial, there was no way she was just suddenly _dead.

_But before he could turn around, someone grabbed him by the elbow and yanked him forward, pulling him along the track blindly. He turned around, about to yell, scream, cry, he wasn't sure which one he felt like doing, but was stunned into silence when he saw that it was Shino, her dark eyes glaring at him coldly, but with a sense of urgency in them._

"_Keep running. Don't stop." She commanded. "There's nothing you can do for her now."_

_Kazuto had been numb at the time, his chest and his mind felt empty, hollow. He simply nodded, looking toward the ground. Shino let go of him then, knowing that he was finally beginning to understand. She didn't leave him though, as Kazuto would have expected her to do. Instead she kept the same pace, making sure that he did as well._

_When they were finally allowed to stop, Kazuto absentmindedly looked around, as if expecting to see Sachi among the endless faces. But he never saw her. The only proof he could see of her ever being there, of having _existed,_ was the dark, red stain on the floor._

_As they were forced to go back to their cells, Shino briefly caught a glimpse of Kazuto's face among the many others. Tears streaked down his hollow cheeks, leaving a trail in the grime that had accumulated over the past few days. Seeing that put a lump in Shino's throat, and she tried to swallow it down. That reminded her of how she had been in the beginning._

_Kazuto couldn't help it, once he had made it back to his cage, he just sat there, in the corner, his knees up to his chest and his hands clutching the sides of his head. All he could hear, all he could _see, _was Sachi in her final moments as that man, that horrid, evil man, took out his gun and ended her life._

_In the adjacent sell, Shino watched the dark-haired boy, her gaze softened, if only a fraction, by the empathy she felt for him. The death, the murder, the suffering, it was all that existed here, in this place. But she did not pity him, because everyone endured that here. Everyone was forced to live it. It had only been a matter of time until he came to realize that._

_In the silence that ensued, Shino, knowing that there was not much else to say, said the one thing that she knew that Kazuto needed to hear. Even if he hated it, he needed to hear the words and accept them, harden his heart or else leave it exposed and open, at risk of being ripped out again._

"_I told you. It's all pointless."_

* * *

Kirito woke up feeling like absolute crap.

He grimaced as he opened his eyes, feeling as though the skin on his eyelids was being ripped off. His head pounded in time with his heartbeat and his throat felt tight and sore. His muscles felt stiff as well. The bed beneath him felt cold and unusually damp, and he realized that it was his sweat. Again.

Kirito sat up to lean against the wall, a soft groan escaping him when he moved too suddenly, a sharp pain lanced through his skull. He got the feeling that he might be coming down with something, the flu maybe. But then again, he glimpsed the clock by his bed and saw that it was about three in the morning, so that probably wasn't helping him much. His dreams hadn't been exactly peaceful either. Whenever he dreamed about Sachi, or really just the months he had spent imprisoned in general, he always woke up feeling awful.

Wincing slightly, Kirito reached over to the drawer in his bedside table and slid it open. He felt around until he grabbed and pulled out a small medicine bottle. Opening it, he shook out a couple pills into his hand before tossing them back into his open mouth and chewing them. The aspirin was bitter in his mouth, and he felt a bit revolted by it, but this was a painkiller that he could endure. He _had _to endure it, for Sinon. There was no way he would _ever_ let her see him this way, sick and weak, _broken. _Not again. He couldn't even bear the _thought_ of that. He had to be strong for her.

He didn't care if he was becoming ill, he had no time for that. Right now, Sinon, Yuuki, and Yui were all that mattered to him. He lived for them, _fought_ for _them _and no one else, not for Kayaba or even the life he had had before this one. Everything that existed then was gone now, even his family. No, he fought for a life that he and the girls could live without the constant worry, the _fear _that today would be the day that they would all _die_.

He also sought revenge, because even though he had no desire to return to his old life, it was still a happy one that had been ripped away from him, from _Yuuki_, from _Sinon_. He wanted to make those bastards pay. The Japanese would not get away without knowing just exactly whose lives they ruined, whose lives they _ended _in that godforsaken camp all those years ago, the camp that started the war, the blood and the tears and the _suffering._

The death.

Kirito would not rest until the Japanese paid for what they did, especially those in league with Laughing Coffin.

**A/N: Hiya! So, summer break is here, and i should be able to update more :) Yay! Well, i hope you enjoyed this chapter. Still a bit on development, but not to worry, there is more action coming up next. Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6: Affiliation

**Chapter 6: Affiliation**

Apparently, Asuna Yuuki had a crush on Kirito Takahashi.

At first, the boy in question didn't even notice; he was too busy trying to suppress all of the hostile urges he felt towards her. She _was_ with the Union after all. She was an enemy, a threat to everything he fought for; he couldn't help but think about the next battle they would inevitably have, and how he would _crush_ her. But after working in class with her on that project and seeing Sinon's hostile glare directed at his temporary partner, Kirito paid more attention and began to notice some things…

Like the way Asuna would catch his eye in the morning and smile, or how she would make it a point to talk to him at least once every day. Once, their hands brushed together and Asuna's cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

'_Really?' _was all Kirito could think when he put two and two together. _Ha. If only she knew._

"I don't understand her." Sinon muttered during lunch one day.

Kirito didn't really say anything, he just sat there at the picnic table, his head down as he looked across the courtyard toward the person Sinon was talking about: Asuna Yuuki.

"What is she even _doing_ here?" the bespectacled girl wondered in a hushed tone. "She's a Union soldier, a high-ranking officer. She should _at least _have a disguise or a secret identity of some kind. Is she here because of the same reason we are?"

It took Kirito a moment, but he finally mumbled "That's the only reason I can think of. The Union is just as desperate as we are to get Tokyo on their side. Tokyo was Japan's capital, and it's seen as the turning point of the war, the vantage point that will decide who wins. Whoever has it takes ground past the midway point as well as more resources, soldiers, and support."

"Yeah but…why keep her appearance and identity. _We're_ undercover and she's just here like a normal school girl. She's putting herself at risk. We could very well capture her and torture her for information."

"Maybe they're being careless," Kirito mused quietly, shutting his eyes for a second. "Or maybe they're just cocky." An uncharacteristically malicious smirk crossed his face. "She's probably closely affiliated with Laughing Coffin or something, so she thinks she's untouchable."

Sinon didn't say anything to that, she didn't have to; Kirito already knew that she agreed with him. But there was another reason why she didn't answer him: he was starting to worry her.

The girl leaned forward, her face right in front of his. She studied him for a long moment, a worried look in her eye. Kirito wasn't completely himself lately; that much she could tell. He seemed tired, unfocused at times. Even his complexion was a bit pale. Just this morning, he had tried to walk out of the apartment with only one sock on.

Feeling her presence, Kirito's onyx eyes opened, peeking out at her in a way that wouldn't blast his retinas with sunlight.

"Sinon, what are you doing?" he asked, trying to sound teasing, but his partner could hear the faint, exhausted undertone.

Her eyebrows scrunched together as she reached a hand up. "Kirito, are you feeling ok?"

Dodging her hand, Kirito sat up and gently grabbed the appendage in both of his. "Yeah. I'm fine. Why do you ask?" He gave her a smile, but Sinon frowned.

"Don't give me that, Kirito. I can see right through your little charade. I know you." She put her other hand on top of his. "Are you sick? Have you been sleeping well?"

The teen next to her just shook his head, repositioning their hands so that he held both of hers. "Seriously, there's nothing to be concerned about, Sinon," he answered, still smiling. "Everything's ok."

The girl frowned, but with that special phrase of his, she said nothing. She hated it when he was like this, when he tried to hide from her that he was hurting. She had known him long enough to see through his façade. But she could never hate _him _for it because she knew why he did it. He did it for her and that really touched her heart…but in a painful way at times. She was touched by what he did, but she worried about him and was a little hurt that he wouldn't let her help him. She _wanted _to help him, but he never let her in. _He_ always wanted to be the shield, and there was really nothing she could say to convince him otherwise.

Just then, the bell rang for lunch to end. Students began packing up their things and heading inside, saying goodbye to friends and the like.

As Kirito stood up from the table, Sinon began to pack up their one lunchbox. (She was also concerned about the fact that Kirito seemed to eat less than usual.)

"Will you be ok for later tonight?" She asked him quietly so no one could overhear. "We can always reschedule."

When he didn't respond immediately, Sinon turned to look at him. She was met with him smiling at her. It was a smile that made her heart stutter ever so slightly. It was that endearing one, the smile that he seemed to reserve just for her. After a second, he spoke to her quietly in a caring, reassuring way.

"Sinon, I appreciate the concern, but for the hundredth time—"

"You're ok," the girl sighed. "So you've told me." Rolling her eyes at his repetitiveness, she grabbed his other hand. "Come on. Let's just go back to class."

* * *

It was about sundown when the woman rushed down the street toward the office building. She appeared to be panicking, hurriedly adjusting her clothes and tugging out her ID badge while trying desperately not to drop her briefcase all at the same time. To be perfectly honest, she didn't know why she was being called in when she wasn't even supposed to be working that day. What was the point?

Checking her watch, she saw that she had ten minutes to meet her superior before he got impatient, which was not good. Good thing she was at the front entrance.

Slowing down briefly, she tried to look composed as she pushed the glass door open and made her way to security. She had just successfully pulled her ID out when, of course, she managed to drop her briefcase. The woman groaned as she heard the case clatter to the tile behind her, and she whirled around, ready to dive down and grab it when a voice beat her to it.

"Here, I got it." The voice was surprisingly deep, she thought, as the young man bent down and grabbed the handle of her case. She watched as he stood up straight and looked at her, giving her a warm smile as he handed the object over.

"Oh. Well, thank you," the woman said, feeling a bit warmer inside and less stressed by this random act of kindness. She took the case and smiled back, briefly looking this young man over so she could at least say she _tried _to remember the one guy that had been nice to her today.

From his uniform, she could tell that he didn't work there. She guessed he was an electrician or something from the gray coveralls and matching hat. He held a toolbox in one gloved hand, his now free hand held against his hip. She looked at his face, still adorned with that smile and met his gaze, his warm brown eyes catching hers.

"You seem in a hurry, miss. Be careful and try not to drop anything else, alright?"

The woman nodded. "I'll try. And thanks again," she waved before heading toward the security guard at the desk nearby who was waiting to scan her ID and allow her entrance.

The young man tipped his hat to her before shifting his toolbox to his other hand and going to another security station.

"Why did you bother to help her?" a voice said in his ear. "It's not like you needed to establish a connection for this mission to work out."

The technician smirked slightly as he showed his visitor's badge to the security guard. The man scanned it, nodded, and allowed him to pass. As soon as he turned a corner down a hallway, all previous warmth slipped off his face, leaving a stoic expression behind. He could just see that woman several meters ahead of him, his eyes seemingly fixated on the silver clips he had glimpsed in her raven-black hair.

"Now that is untrue," he murmured. "If I hadn't helped her, those security guards wouldn't exactly have taken a liking to me, now would they?"

The voice scoffed. "But they probably wouldn't have cared either way. Besides, you most likely just ended up drawing attention to yourself."

"That could be true." He was pretending to refer to the directive signs to get to his destination. "But being undercover is all about staying in character. This is why you don't get to do this stuff."

"Are you insinuating that I'm a bad actor?"

"No, not at all," the supposed technician answered lightly, now passing the elevators. "It's just that you would refuse to do it. Stay in character, I mean. Besides, I refuse to let you onto the field, anyway."

There was a short silence on the other end.

"Sinon?"

"…Just be careful, Kirito."

"Of course. When am I not?"

Imagining his partner rolling her eyes at that moment made Kirito chuckle as he rounded another corner. The radio went silent for a while as he walked, following the map he had ingrained into his mind just last night toward his destination: a secluded hallway. Once there, he looked at a screen on the wall that wasn't working properly, the image flickering and the sound wavering. Setting the toolbox down, Kirito looked toward the screen, briefly thinking that in a building filled with hundreds of employees specialized in electronics, they could have spared just one person to fix their own appliances.

Noticing some people were still around, Kirito took the screen from the wall, planning on doing the job he was supposedly hired to do while he waited for the hall to clear. Taking a moment to eye the wires, he almost laughed. It was child's play.

Setting to work, he discreetly assessed his surroundings. Two people in the vicinity, both were leaving, their backs facing him. Three doors in the hall. One on his side with the lights on, the others on the other side with the lights off. Window at the end of the hall closest to him, not facing another building. One security camera, pans and completes one cycle in ten seconds.

More than enough time.

Once the hall was clear, Kirito allowed himself a small smile. Setting the screen back in its rightful place, he bent down and picked up his toolbox. Casually he began to walk down the hall, his hand in his pocket. In his peripheral vision, he could see a security panel coming up beside him on the wall. Timing it perfectly, he slipped a plastic flash drive into the correct slot, expertly pressed about twenty commands with one hand, and took the flash drive out again before the camera had even finished one rotation.

"Getting it, Sinon?"

"Yeah. I'm in. Standing by."

Kirito didn't respond as he continued to walk. He just walked down the hall, turned the corner, and walked into the bathroom. The plan was simple enough. He would go to eight places in the building he had strategically picked out that would bring the place down without much hassle, and Sinon would remotely screw with the system and the cameras from her vantage point across town, making it so that he could plant the charges without being caught on tape.

Sweeping his eyes around the room to make sure he was alone, the 'technician' placed his toolbox on the counter.

"Ok. I'm in the first location," he stated, opening the box and lifting the first compartment to reveal the second underneath. In it, were eight packages with a clay backing. Not even taking a full sixty seconds, Kirito took one of the packages, stuck it to the wall under the sink, and pressed a button on the side. Seeing the blinking, red light, Kirito stood up and took his now closed toolbox in hand. "First charge set. Moving on to the next location."

Setting the rest of the charges went down in a similar fashion, the two of them talking a bit as he went. Truthfully, these kinds of missions weren't very fun or engaging… At least, not until the very end they weren't. But before that, it was just going through the motions.

Each charge was set in a different location of the building, each spot crucial for stability. Not all of the charges were on the same floor, but there were at least two in each direction (north, south, east west). The idea was to weaken the building so that, once the charges were set off, the impact would make the supports on all floors buckle, causing the top floors to crash down and crush the lower ones in a domino effect, effectively leveling the area.

Of course, the fun part was watching it all go boom.

* * *

Six charges later, Kirito was on his way to set the final charge. Walking down the hall, he checked his watch to see how much time he was taking. He had been there about an hour, and the employees would start leaving in fifteen minutes. He could finish in time.

Just then, movement ahead caught his attention. Without moving his head, he glanced up. Two guards were coming toward him, each in the telltale black and white uniforms, radios on their shoulders and handguns at their hips. This couldn't be good; it was either a routine security sweep or…

They were getting closer. Kirito resigned to eye the men as they drew near.

"Sir, we're going to have to ask you to come with us," one of them said once they were near enough.

The swordsman's currently brown eyes discreetly eyed the weapons at their hips. "Why? Did I do something wrong?"

"We just need you to come quietly," the other said, taking his arm. But Kirito knew, from the slight waver in his gaze, that small indication of fear, that they knew.

"No, thanks," he deadpanned. Without warning, he swung his toolbox up, smashing it into the closest guard's head. He collapsed to the floor, his partner immediately going for his gun and his radio.

"Target—" he barely got the first word out before Kirito was upon him. Grabbing his wrist, Kirito twisted it behind his back. The man yelled in pain, his grip loosening enough that he dropped his firearm right into Kirito's hand. The boy grasped the weapon firmly and fired a shot into the man's back. The bark of the gun echoed loudly in the hall, then left an eerie silence. The guard in Kirito's hold went still, and once Kirito let go, he toppled to the floor.

Hearing shouts coming from the hall ahead, Kirito turned the other way and ran, gun still in hand and toolbox forgotten.

"Sinon, I've been made!"

"_What?!"_

"Two guards attacked me and tried to take me in."

"But-but how did they _know? _There are no alarms going off!"

"Shit!" Kirito spat as he saw his way blocked by five armed men. "We'll have to figure that out later. Right now, I need you to map me a way out of here."

"Ok. Where are you?"

"Floor fifteen, hall three," he answered just as he caught sight of three guards in his way. Upon seeing him, they raised their weapons and opened fire. Kirito rolled sideways to throw them off before smoothly getting to his feet again, staying close to the ground. In the blink of an eye, he had jabbed the closer guard in the stomach and kneed him in the head when he doubled over, knocking him out. The other guards continued to shoot, even as Kirito went up to them. He kicked the gun away from one of them, sending it out of sight, and grabbed the other one from behind. He pointed his gun at the disarmed guard, fired, then made the guard he was choking shoot himself in the head. They both dropped and Kirito took no time scoop up a second weapon and sprint on.

"Go west and head along the hallway with the elevators. Then take a left, right, and head through the first door on the left. You can take the fire escape down into the alley."

Kirito could hear gunfire behind him as he heeded Sinon's directions, barely noticing the elevators as he passed them. He was more concerned with not getting shot. He could hear the bullets whiz passed him, practically feel them rustle his clothes before he turned a corner again. It was a bit calmer in this hallway, and if he could only get down the next one and into that room, he would be home free.

Of course, he just had to run into ten more barrels down that last hallway. He had just caught sight of them when a voice barked "open fire!" Not even thinking, Kirito dove for the hallway across from his, barely avoiding being pumped full of holes. He grunted as he hit the ground, taking cover behind the wall. He tried to ignore the places on his body that had already been grazed by bullets and/or were bleeding. Guns at the ready, he was about to turn and fire some shots of his own when something stopped him.

"Cease fire!"

To be honest, he shouldn't have been surprised to hear that voice. Immediately the gunfire stopped and silence enveloped them.

"This is it! Come out with your hands up!"

"No, thanks! I'm good here!"

"It wasn't a request, Swordsman."

"Huh. Impressive. How did you know it was me?"

"Come. _Out. _Weapons on the floor and kick them over."

That didn't surprise him; the Lightning Flash being all straightforward. He didn't have time to engage in small talk with her right now though, he needed to find a way out fast. Kirito glanced around quickly, eyes flitting over every detail of his surroundings that he could take in. His initial exit was out. So was the one Sinon had just supplied him. The hall he was in led to a dead end on one side, his enemies' coming reinforcements on the other. The hall opposite Asuna led to the street, which meant the end was made up of glass.

"Alright, fine," Kirito shouted as a plan formed, remaining in his crouch. "I'm coming out." He waited a few seconds so that he wouldn't get shot before standing up. Holding his new guns in the air, as if surrendering, he turned the corner to face his enemies. For a brief moment, his eyes locked with a pair of chestnut-brown ones. They just stared at each other, the Lightning Flash's eyes showing obvious hatred and contempt, Kirito's showing nothing at all.

Then, the smallest of smirks came to his lips.

A jolt went through Asuna's chest, and without hesitation, she ordered "Open fire!" At the same time, with the smirk still on his face, Kirito raised his gun above their heads and fired. The gun going off and the glass shattering seemed to happen simultaneously, the sounds mingling with each other. On instinct, everyone ducked, covering their heads and faces with their arms to protect themselves from the falling debris. Taking the opportunity, Kirito fired several quick shots at them before taking off in the other direction.

"Sinon, shut down the power grid!"

Almost immediately, the lights went out and he was running in the dark, but it didn't really matter because he knew where he was going. He could just see the city lights growing larger and larger.

Just fifteen meters left… fourteen… thirteen…

Shots rang out behind him as he ran, but he didn't worry too much about them striking him. They were being shot blindly, missing him by miles and embedding themselves in the glass wall.

Ten… nine… eight

A lucky bullet grazed his leg, but he kept going.

Five… four… three… two…

At the last second, he jumped, shoulder first, at the window. The cracked glass shattered on impact and then Kirito was out in the open air, the cold blasting him in the face. Cold wind whipped through his hair and his clothes as he practically flew, the roof of the next building over rapidly approaching. Instincts taking over, his body curled up and he braced for impact. His shoulder slammed hard into the concrete, and next thing he knew, he was rolling painfully fast across the bumpy surface, but he just held on, trying to relax his body to lessen the damage. Without warning, his back crashed into something hard, metal. A strangled gasp burst out of his mouth, and suddenly, he couldn't breathe.

"Kirito! Are you ok?!" Sinon's voice shouted in alarm in his ear, but he found himself unable to answer. He could only struggle to fill even half of his lung capacity with the crisp, night air now hitting his skin.

"Yeah… I'm fine," he groaned after a minute, slowly easing himself into a sitting position. "Just had the wind knocked out of me, is all."

He could hear a relieved sigh. "Thank goodness. You had me worried."

"Are the charges still intact?" he asked, getting back into business as he checked himself for injuries. As far as he could see, he would live. He had some cuts from glass, concrete, and bullets alike, and now that he was breathing properly, he thought he might have a cracked rib or two, but he wasn't very concerned.

"They're all fine. Except of course for the one you didn't set, but this should still work with just seven."

"Great," he grunted, putting his hand on top of the industrial vent he had apparently slammed into to push himself to his feet. "I'll head toward the rendezvous point."

"And where exactly would that be, Black Swordsman?"

The voice stopped Kirito in his tracks, his hand going to rest on the metal cylinder on his belt.

"Turn around and face me," Asuna ordered, her rapier drawn and pointed at him. "No sudden movements."

Thoroughly annoyed, Kirito turned, slowly. "You know, not many guys like bossy women."

"Quiet!" Asuna spat, the same look in her eyes from earlier directed at him. "I don't need your commentary. Tell me what you were doing inside Mintendo Corporation."

"Fixing the power."

"Don't give me that crap! You're obviously not a technician!"

Kirito smirked, moving his hand to his watch. A soft light passed over his body, revealing the enemy Asuna seemed to know so well: the Black Swordsman.

"You're right. So is this better?" he asked, his voice back to normal as well.

The Lightning Flash glared in response, and Kirito didn't particularly mind the absence of her voice in her answer. He didn't exactly enjoy it. Or her company, for that matter.

"Kirito. I have a shot," Sinon said in his ear.

"Wait for my signal," he muttered back, barely moving his lips so Asuna wouldn't see. He knew that Sinon had a good sniping advantage from her spot, but he needed to keep Asuna occupied so she wouldn't dodge the shot. Her skills were similar to his, and if _he_ was perfectly capable of evading a sniper, then she very well could be as well.

"…Why do you do this?"

Kirito raised an eyebrow at the change in topic. "And what do you mean by that?"

Asuna just looked at him. "Why do you hurt innocent people? I don't understand."

He continued to look at her as if she were not in her right mind. "Innocent? You people are anything but innocent."

"And what makes you think that? What gives you the right to take lives?"

"It's the simple fact that the world we live in is corrupted."

"So you think you can just sweep in and purge it?"

"In a way, yes. That's exactly what I think."

"…Then why fight against the Union?"

He almost laughed. "Because that's my best chance of ever changing anything. You people are the worst."

"Is that because you think we're with Laughing Coffin?"

"Kirito, there are snipers appearing in the surrounding buildings. Let me take the shot."

Kirito raised his hand in halt. His red eyes locked on Asuna in interest and a bit of confusion. Why would she ask that question if she _was _with Laughing Coffin?

Seeing his movement, the Lightning Flash tensed up, looking ready to strike. "What are you doing?"

"You think you're the only one with snipers on standby? Now explain what you just asked."

Asuna eyed him cautiously, her muscles were coiling. "Are you only acting this way because you think we're in league with Laughing Coffin?" Kirito didn't answer, so she continued. "If your main goal is to take them out, then come to our side."

_That _offer certainly surprised him. "What?"

The girl didn't falter, she just met his gaze evenly. "An objective of ours is to take out the remnants of that group as well. We already have some good leads on where they might be. Join us and we can take them out together." She took a step forward.

"Stay right there!" Kirito growled, "Or else you will be shot dead where you stand!"

"I have gunmen in every building in this area. What sniper could you possibly—?" she cut herself off, a sudden realization causing her eyes to go wide. "…The Phantom Bullet. That's your sniper."

"Who else could we hire that can take an accurate shot at a target from over 2000 meters away?" the swordsman asked, slightly amused despite the situation. 'Phantom Bullet' was Sinon's title. Just as 'the Black Swordsman' was given to him, 'the Phantom Bullet' was the name given to the most highly skilled sniper in Japan. No one knew who this sniper was, let alone what they even looked like, because they were never caught. The only distinguishing characteristics about them was that they never missed, even over incredible distances, and always disappeared afterward without a trace.

"They can come too," Asuna suddenly offered, her face showing that she was serious. "If you two work so effortlessly together, then I assume you have similar goals. We could use the both of you."

Kirito couldn't take it anymore, he unclipped his sword from his belt, pushing the switch up. Soon, the blade was humming in the air between them, his grip on the handle turning his knuckles white.

"What the hell are you trying to pull? We're not helping a bunch of terrorists no matter which way you spin it."

Asuna raised the tip of her sword higher. "Then surrender."

"That's it!" Kirito growled. In the next instant, he lunged forward, aiming his sword at Asuna's neck. Acting fast, she parried, surprising Kirito by the fact that her rapier held up against his photon sword. In the split second that he was distracted, Asuna jabbed, catching him off guard just enough to get a gash in his side. Kirito quickly sidestepped, ignoring the pain from his injuries, and slashed. The Lightning Flash rolled under his strike, coming to her knees as she threw several more jabs at him. He managed to block and evade all of them, lifting his leg and aiming a kick for Asuna's head. She rolled again, barely avoiding a devastating follow-up blow from Kirito's sword. The blade grazed her arm, making her hiss as it burned her skin. Now on her feet, she drew away, her rapier doing a sort of flicking motion in his direction, almost as if…

Eyes going wide, Kirito knew on instinct what was happening, and reacted just in time to prevent any lethal damage. A sharp pain exploded in his shoulder, sending him staggering back into a vent.

"_Kirito!"_

He could hear Sinon scream his name through his earpiece as he grimaced. He could feel a warm, sticky liquid seeping from his shoulder and down his arm. The only reason he was still alive for the moment was that his armor was sturdy enough to take the brunt of the force, preventing the bullet from penetrating his chest. Despite the situation, the only thought he had for a moment was about how he now felt the urge to have a talk with Heathcliff about the difference between bullet_proof _and bullet _resistant _when it came to his armor_._

"Damn, that was dirty," he muttered, glaring at Asuna through the throbbing pain. "I thought you were more honorable than that."

She just glared right back, her rapier poised to strike.

Despite the pain, Kirito found it in him to smirk at her. "I guess I'm not one to judge though." He raised his hand out beside him, the gesture in full view of everyone in the vicinity, including the Lightning Flash and the trusty partner he knew was watching from halfway across town. Then, he made a fist, his thumb sticking up.

Suddenly, the building behind Asuna exploded. Mintendo Corporation went up in flames, the force of the blast shattering the glass in the surrounding buildings. Before he was hit, Kirito vaulted over the side of the building, his coat billowing out above him as he plummeted to the alley ten stories below. His instincts took over again, and he hit the ground rolling, barely keeping enough wits about him to transition into a sprint with his momentum. A wave of pain washed over his body as he ran and he grit his teeth, pretty sure that the fall had cut him up even more and maybe even broken/sprained something, but the adrenaline numbed him to the point where he could ignore it. For now.

_So much for the original rendezvous point. Looks like I'll need to go to default, _he thought, weaving through alleys and trying to distance himself from the sirens he could hear behind him. It seemed he had lost his sword somewhere, but he couldn't find it in himself to care at the moment. He would never get to the original rendezvous in this state, he was bleeding out and his vision was starting to blur. He and Sinon always had a default rendezvous for emergencies, and this was certainly an emergency.

Skidding to a halt, Kirito knelt down next to a manhole cover. It may seem a bit cliché, but the sewers were the best place to lose people in. He only hoped he could do it before he passed out. Pulling the cover up, Kirito slipped inside, sealing himself in before dropping down to the concrete below. Beginning to feel lightheaded, he began to walk along, trying keep himself upright for as long as possible.

Everything that came after that was a blur. He had the tunnels down there memorized, but even so, he had the vague feeling that he was going the wrong way. He put most of his effort into keeping away from the walls and walking through puddles whenever possible. But the world seemed to grow dimmer with every step he took.

He only hoped that Sinon would find him soon.

Just when he thought he couldn't go on any longer, he heard footsteps. The world was already dark, so he really hoped it was Sinon.

Trusting that it was her, he finally let go, his legs buckling under him and his vision going dark.

**A/N: Wow. Five months... I'm horrible, aren't I? At least it wasn't my worst delay. Anyway, hoped that was satisfactory for you guys, especially in the action department. Sorry about the cliffhanger (Ha! Not really), but I will at least not take more than about two months to continue. The anniversary is next month and I always try to update on those (haven't failed yet). And I feel bad because I informed the people reading my other stories that I was going to try and finish my earlier projects, but right now, things are just going based on whatever I'm inspired about and when. That's a real pain now that I think about it.**

**Please review and I will see you next time!**


	7. Chapter 7: Out of Place

**Chapter 7: Out of Place**

It was cold... in the hospital room.

White lights shone overhead, bathing the already-white, unadorned walls an even starker shade of the color, giving it a sterile, almost foreign feel. The bed wasn't much different; it's thin, crisp white sheets unwelcoming. The machines beside the bed beeped rhythmically, eerily, as if they were counting away the moments until death.

To Sinon, that's exactly what it felt like.

The ebony-haired girl sat in a chair beside the bed, the seat hard and unfamiliar. She just sat there, her hands clenched in tight balls in the sheets, her eyes locked onto the pale face and black hair of someone so familiar, yet so painfully unrecognizable. He was a bit blurry to her, her glasses on the bedside table, but she could clearly make out every detail of him through memory, both past and more recent.

She remembered him, smiling at her, talking to her with that warmness she knew so well. But now? He was the total opposite. Cold. Pale. Almost lifeless.

The thought made tears prick at her puffy, red-rimmed eyes again, and a few drops of salty liquid slid out, rolling down her cheeks and falling to the white fabric beneath her. She felt so shaken, her world thrown into chaos. She and Kirito had been fine just the other day, going about life as usual… but now, here she sat, seeing him so close to death. Again.

Her normally cool, collected demeanor broke to pieces, horrible thoughts and memories resurfacing. She could still remember when she had found him in the sewer, stumbling, blood dripping to the floor…

* * *

_She turned corner after corner, her heart racing as she sprinted through the dark, dank, foul-smelling tunnels of Tokyo's sewer system. _

_He was here. He just_ had _to be here. This was the place they agreed to go if anything went wrong, if something happened._

_Her boots splashed in the water as she ran, barely even slowing down to avoid running headlong into the grimy walls at every turn._

Just one more. Just one more corner.

_It must have been hours since she had first gone down there. Why couldn't she find him? Where _was _he?_

_A slight burning sensation pricked at Sinon's eyes as she ran harder, faster, her vision blurring a bit. _

_He _had_ to be here somewhere. She would find him. She _would_. He would never lie to her. This was where he said he would go. He would be here._

_She couldn't breathe. It was taking too long. It shouldn't be taking this long. She should have found him by now, found something, but there was nothing, not even a sign._

_Not even a drop of blood._

_Fear seized her heart tightly as she turned another corner._

Where is he?

_Suddenly, Sinon stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't speak, she could only stand there and stare._

_There, only a few meters away from her, wasn't the Black Swordsman, but Kirito._

_He stood there, hunched over and staring unseeingly at the ground. His eyes and hair the usual black, but his eyes… his eyes looked unfocused, glass-like._

_Eventually, Kirito looked up, slowly, and his eyes came to rest in Sinon's direction, as if he had just noticed her presence._

_Sinon stood there, frozen in place, as Kirito moved sluggishly toward her, each small step as shaky as the last._

_Step… step… step…_

_Suddenly, he faltered. Snapping out of her daze, Sinon rushed forward just before Kirito's knees hit the ground. She caught him against her chest, her arms wrapping around his torso. His head came to rest on her shoulder, his entire body leaning limply against hers. For a moment, Sinon was afraid to move, her body trembling as her mind seem to focus too much on the sticky feeling of blood seeping into her clothes._

"_I'm sorry… Sinon."_

_The girl could feel tears beginning to spill down her cheeks as she shook her head, burying her face into Kirito's neck and tightening her arms around him, wanting to never let go._

* * *

She could still remember how cold it was, how his wet, iron-smelling clothes stuck to her palms and her shirt. His breathing had been so shallow in her ear, ragged, uneven.

The memory caused her chest to clench painfully. In desperation for something reassuring, she grabbed his hand, her fingers wrapping around and encasing the appendage delicately. The subtle warmth that she felt radiating from his skin soothed her, if only slightly. It was proof, undeniable evidence, that he was alive.

He almost hadn't made it, she knew, no matter what the nurses said. When she had finally gotten him to the hospital, his breathing had almost been nonexistent.

_I should have taken the shot! _she mentally berated herself. _I should have taken out those snipers when I had the chance! Then Kirito wouldn't be…_

She stared at his face, her thoughts going back to that night. He had told her to hold her fire, but why? What had been his reasoning that time? She knew that he always had a reason for everything he did but… she couldn't fathom what was so important that he allowed himself to get shot for it.

_I could have saved you._

Mentally exhausted, Sinon laid her head down, her cheek coming to rest next to their joined hands. She stared at their skin, his subtle pale contrasting against her more toned color abnormal because usually she was the one with paler skin. Her grip tightened and she whispered to him, even though she knew he probably couldn't hear her:

"You're an idiot."

* * *

_Kazuto didn't know how long he had been in his cell with no food, and quite frankly, he didn't care. Every time the meager rations of food and water were distributed, he wouldn't bother with them, leaving them untouched by the bars until he was yelled at or they were taken away. When they were released from their cages to perform that ungodly ritual of running mindlessly around that track, he would only do the bare minimum of effort, not even trying very hard to stay alive._

_Every once in a while, Shino would speak to him, urging him to eat, drink—_something—_but he would barely even glance at her before going back to stare unseeingly at the same, dark corner in his cell. He didn't see the point in eating anymore. In trying. What was the point in living in such a dark and desolate world such as this?_

_He could hear the familiar sounds of metal slamming onto concrete echo down the hall, the sounds of animalistic growling and shouts erupting every now and then. The guards were distributing food, something that obviously didn't happen often and was in small portions. _

_Food here was coveted more than life itself._

_When the men finally reached Kazuto and Shino's area, they "served" Shino first, dropping a metal tray to the floor with a loud clatter, the small tin of water and loaf of bread the size of the girl's fist jostling precariously. She shot them a dull glare as they moved away, sliding over to the tray and gingerly lifting the bread into her hands._

_They treated Kazuto the same way, throwing the tray just inside the cage, the tin tipping completely over and spilling water all over the floor. He didn't even look in the direction of the sound, not until the sounds of the guards moved far, far away. When he finally did look, he just turned his head slightly, staring at the drying stain on the floor._

"_You should eat," Shino advised quietly, tilting her head to look over at him. She still held the loaf of bread in her hands, refraining from taking a bite for now despite the insistent growling coming from her stomach._

_Kazuto didn't answer, he just turned back to the wall in silence. Shino sighed through her nose, looking back down at her bread and ripping a piece off to eat._

He's going to die if he keeps this up.

_She put the piece in her mouth, trying not to chew and swallow too fast or else she might throw up. She learned that from experience. However, despite her pace, she still finished the loaf way too early for her liking. It wasn't even good bread, just crumby and stale, leaving her parched as it sucked up all the moisture from her mouth and throat. Reaching for the tin, she cradled it between her hands and took a sip of the musty liquid inside, trying to savor it._

"_You need to eat it."_

_Hearing the unfamiliar voice, Shino looked up. It took her a moment, but she finally pinpointed where the small voice had come from. In the cell across from hers, a girl about her age sat with her face close to the outward bars, her dark, warm brown eyes looking out at Kazuto's cell._

_The boy noticed the voice too and looked toward her, his onyx eyes blinking apathetically. He watched as the girl tilted her head, her short brown hair swishing in a way that made her seem so innocent._

"_You're going to die if you don't."_

"…_Why should I care?" Kazuto asked, his voice sounding hoarse from lack of use._

_The girl didn't answer for a moment. She just looked at him, blinking a few times, her head still in that innocent position. Then, she did the most out-of-place thing, making it look completely natural on her: she smiled._

"_Well maybe _you _don't care. But others might."_

_Kazuto's eyes widened a fraction as he just stared at her. She was _smiling? _A girl so small and fragile looking like _her_ was _smiling _in a place like this?_ _It was so foreign, and yet…_

_Suddenly, he had the urge to look up. He just caught sight of Shino's dark, gray-brown eyes staring at him before she casually looked back down at her tin, taking a sip._

Shino…

_Kazuto looked back to the girl who was still smiling at him, as if he were an old friend._

"…_What's your name?"_

"_Yuuki Konno," the girl answered genially, the faint, lively glint in her eye highlighted by the softness of her expression. She just seemed so _warm _for a place so cold._

"_Yuuki," Kazuto muttered, rolling the name off his tongue, as if wanting to get a feel for it. Just who was Yuuki Konno?_

_Wordlessly, he turned to his tray, the water on the floor long absorbed into the porous rock underfoot. Slowly, he scooted over until he sat right next to the tray, looking down at it in contemplation. With delicate movements, he picked up the loaf of bread and held it in his hands. Barely brushing his finger against its surface, some crumbs fell away and tumbled to the floor, scattering in multiple directions. Under normal circumstances, he would have thrown it away with how low quality it was. But these circumstances were far from normal._

_Hesitantly, Kazuto brought the bread up to his mouth and took a bite, his weak jaw muscles chewing slowly. But once he got that first bit down, all previous weakness was forgotten and replaced by a hunger he had been doing everything to ignore until then. In a matter of seconds, he had wolfed the entire thing down, leaving nothing behind. Not even the crumbs._

* * *

_Kazuto stared down at the table in front of him, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration as his mind attempted to think through the puzzle the built-in screen displayed. In frustration, he sighed quietly through his nose and sat back, looking around the room at the other kids in there with him._

_This had been a new development in their schedule. A few days ago, the guards started taking them out of their cells, not just to the track, but to this white room with rows upon rows of tables as well. At each seat, there was a peculiar screen built-into the table that only ever displayed puzzles. Sometimes they were simple mazes. Other times, they showed riddles, word problems, and once, even that test were you had to guess what the inkblots looked like._

_Kazuto was just about done with this. He didn't understand what they were doing this for. Was it some kind of test? Because that was the only thing he could think it would be, but for what purpose, he didn't have a clue._

_And he _would _quit, he had half a mind to already with how pointless this seemed, but the longer he sat there, the more he saw that those who did not complete their puzzles or questions on time were taken out of the room. He never saw those people again._

_Looking around him, he saw Shino across from him, looking perfectly calm as she tapped out a response to a question she was given, and Yuuki next to him, smiling slightly as she won a game of chess against what seemed to be an automated opponent. Kazuto had to say, he was intimidated by both of them. They got through their puzzles so quickly, breezing through each one that appeared to them with ease._

_Not that he couldn't solve any of these himself. In fact, for some of them, like the mazes and the problem solving games, he completed them without much thought, they were so easy. It was the more abstract things he couldn't understand. This riddle that had popped up for example, was giving him a hard time:_

'When my first is a task to a young girl of spirit,

And my second confines her to finish the piece,

How hard is her fate! But how great is her merit

If by taking my whole she affects her release!'

_For the life of him, he couldn't figure out what the answer was, and it was driving him crazy. He could practically _feel _the eyes of the guards as they watched him, knowing that he hadn't done anything in a while and were preparing to take him outside, never to be seen again._

_The thought of that made him begin to panic. He didn't want to die yet! There were so many things he needed to do, questions he needed answered! He couldn't go and abandon everyone!_

_Just when he thought it didn't matter what he wanted, that he would die anyway, a small finger hovered over his keyboard and typed in one word: _

'_Hem-lock.'_

_His onyx eyes widened as the screen gave him a 'congratulations' before moving onto the next problem. His head turned swiftly, and he was met with the warm brown eyes of Yuuki. She gave him a smile, their gazes meeting for a split second before she looked back at her screen._

"_Yuuki..." Kirito began, but stopped himself when he saw one of the guards approaching and quickly huddled over his screen, which he was relieved to see had a word problem on it._

_Yuuki, a girl so bright and happy, had correctly answered such a dark riddle as that?_

_After a second, he just shook his head, knowing that, for the moment, those thoughts didn't matter. Yuuki had most likely just saved his life._

* * *

Slowly, Kirito awoke to consciousness, his eyelids seeming to resist him as he painstakingly forced them open. For a moment, he only stared up at the ceiling, his thoughts still muddled with the remnants of his dream. Suddenly, the stark whiteness of his surroundings slammed into him, his breath hitching in his chest, his heart jolting to a stop as for the briefest of moments, he thought he was back there, with all the cages, the suffering.

"Kirito!"

At the familiar voice, his head whipped around, his upper body attempting to sit up on instinct. A searing pain slashed through his body at the movement and he let out a groan, wincing, his body going even more rigid.

"Hey, it's ok. You're just in the hospital," Sinon's soothing voice said to him. He could feel a gentle hand holding his shoulder, slowly pushing him back down so that he rested against some pillows.

"S-Sinon," the boy croaked out, his onyx eyes finally meeting her grayish-brown. Relief began to seep through his bones, gradually filling his whole body at the sight of her. If she was there, then there wasn't anything to worry about. He swallowed, his throat protesting at the action, but he attempted to speak again. "What…?"

The girl shook her head, a small smile spreading itself across her face. "You were hurt on your way to rendezvous. I found you and brought you here, and you've been asleep ever since. As for the mission, it was a success. Mintendo Corporation went down, including the warehouses, so don't worry about it."

Kirito let out a slow breath through his nose, glad to know that mission was over. It was then that he began to really _look _at Sinon's face. Her eyes were a little red and puffy, dark rings encircling them, her hair disheveled and messy, as if she hadn't bothered to tend to it for a while.

A pang struck through his chest, but he pushed it back and asked "How long was I out?"

"Three days."

His eyes widened. _"That_ long?"

"Well you were hurt pretty badly," Sinon muttered, and immediately Kirito could hear the slight bitterness in her tone.

"Sinon…"

Her look cut him off, her dark eyes glaring at him icily. They stared at each other for a long moment, Sinon's pained anger meeting Kirito's melancholic guilt.

"Sinon—"

"No. Don't," the girl cut him off again, her words seeming to strike him with their intensity. "Don't try to brush this off as some insignificant…" she trailed off, her words failing her for an instant before continuing. "You're an idiot, you know that? You're the smartest and stupidest person I've ever met and that drives me insane. You can do almost anything, even things I think are impossible, and yet when you need help, when you as just one person can't achieve something, you're stupid enough to _never _ask for help. It makes me wonder why I'm even here. Do you not trust me or think that I can't do anything to help?"

Kirito's eyes widened. "No! I don't think that at all! Sinon, I trust you more than anyone!"

"Then why won't you let me help you!?" she was practically yelling now. "That's what I'm here for, what _you're _here for! This is a partnership, Kirito, not some stupid arrangement where the knight protects a damsel in distress! I can actually help you but you need to _let _me!"

"I know—"

"So then why won't you let me?" She looked him directly in the eye as she asked, telling him that she actually wanted an answer.

"I guess…" Kirito began, an image from his dream returning to him. "I just never want to be a burden to you."

For a second, Sinon didn't know what to say. She hadn't been expecting an answer like that. "What do you…?"

The dark-haired teen sighed. "In those cages, all you ever did was look out for me, the stupid kid who couldn't even see reality when it smacked him in the face. I was almost always on the brink of death, and yet you put up with me even when it would have been better if you had left me to die. I don't want to be that kid anymore. I want to be able to return the favor and save the people I care about."

For a moment, he didn't meet her gaze, his eyes instead fixating on the blankets he had his fists curled around.

"…I think about half of what you just said is wrong." Kirito blinked, looking up as Sinon continued to speak, her gaze a bit softer than it had been. "I think you should still try to be that kid. He…he gave me hope when I thought there was none. He saved me. Sure he was a bit stupid, but he cared about others. Besides, he was never a burden. Not once."

For a second, all they did was stare at each other, Kirito at a loss for words and Sinon drilling her message into his head with her intense gaze.

"I'm the one who doesn't want to be a burden. So please, just… promise me? Promise to let me help."

Kirito couldn't prevent a small smile from forming on his lips. So they both felt indebted to each other for the same reason? He supposed that's just why they worked so well together. They felt bound to one another in such a way that wouldn't let them leave each other's side.

"I promise. I'll try to be better about it."

Hearing those words made Sinon let out a small sigh, her body relaxing back into her chair as a weight seemed to lift from her chest. If he promised, then she really didn't have much to worry about.

There was a sudden knock at the door, and before either of them could wonder who it was, the door opened, revealing an unfortunately familiar face.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" the newcomer asked, closing the door behind him.

_Yes, you are, _Kirito growled in his head, instant dislike almost making him say that aloud, but Sinon's hand squeezing his shoulder made him hold his tongue.

The girl simply gave the man a smile, one that Kirito could tell had a certain amount of ice behind it as she spoke. "No, not at all. Come in, Sugou."

The man didn't smile, he didn't even look at them as he came in, as if only asking the question had just been for show. He walked over to the unoccupied side of Kirito's bed with all the beeping machines, and with the clipboard in his arm wrote down notes on what was presumably Kirito's chart.

Watching him just stand there going about his own business, not even talking to him after he just woke up from a _coma _pissed Kirito off more than he could say. But he managed to keep his mouth shut and instead grit his teeth to ask "What's my condition?"

Sugou didn't answer for a second, his eyes too busy looking at the screens around them. "Well, you came in with three broken ribs, a fractured ankle, GSWs, and several abrasions. You're lucky that we have the technology that we do, otherwise you wouldn't be in such a stable condition. You will need to stay another few days for us to keep a check on your progress, but after that you go home."

"Great. Thanks," Kirito ground out, knowing more than feeling that Sugou actually just wanted him to get out and not have anything do to with him.

"What's that?" the teen suddenly asked, his eyes fixating on the bags of liquid Sugou was fiddling with above his head.

The man raised an eyebrow. "Your IV."

"No, the other one."

All eyes turned to the other plastic bag Sugou was holding. Sinon quickly looked away and at the floor, biting her lip.

Kirito's jaw clenched. "Take it out."

"That isn't wise. You'll be in a lot of pain."

"I don't care. Take it. Out."

"Kirito." He felt a hand touch his shoulder and he turned his head to find Sinon, her eyes pleading with him. "You need it."

He wanted so badly to take out his IV line, in fact, he would have even ripped it out himself, but with Sinon looking at him like that, he forced himself to relax.

Sugou seemed unimpressed as he wrote one last thing on the clipboard. "I'll be back to check on you again in the morning." And with that, he turned and walked out the door.

Sinon let out a small sigh once the door shut. "He's been like that, coming in twice a day…"

Kirito's eyes went to look at her again, a small amount of concern in them. "When was the last time you slept?"

"…"

He sighed. "You should get some rest." Dark gray eyes flickered, looking at him and away again in uncertainty, but it just made him smile. "Don't worry, I'll be right here when you wake up."

Sinon scoffed. "Like you could go anywhere with how many bandages you have on."

The comment made Kirito blink and he finally looked down at himself. His torso was covered in bandages and, from what he could feel, so was the rest of his body. His leg was stiff as well, making him assume that he had a cast on. "Oh. Well then, I'll definitely be here."

The girl beside him rolled her eyes, a smirk tugging at her lips. After taking her glasses off and placing them on the table, she scooted her chair closer to the bed and leaned her head down on top of her hands, just barely touching Kirito's leg. Almost immediately, she closed her eyes, her breathing evening out and her body relaxing into the cool material beneath her.

_That's the fastest I've seen anyone fall asleep, _Kirito mused, his hand going up to stroke Sinon's cheek. _Who knows how long she stayed up for, worrying over me…_

He sighed at the thought, that pang of guilt striking through him again. He knew that he wanted to protect her, but if taking on so much responsibility hurt her like this… maybe he really should let her support him a bit more.

The sight of his hand made him stop in his movements. His onyx eyes stared down at the needle embedded in his skin, injecting who knew what into his blood stream. He tried to reason with himself that it wasn't anything harmful. Given the place and time he was in, it most likely was not anything like that, but he couldn't stop his thoughts from wandering into places and times he wished they wouldn't. Still though, he knew that it was some kind of painkiller, most likely morphine, but even so… he wanted more than anything to take it out.

Leaning back against his pillows, Kirito closed his eyes, his hands going to lay limply against the sheets. Never mind all those thoughts. Just being awake for the past ten minutes left him exhausted. He needed sleep.

_I should take my own advice and follow Sinon's lead, _he thought tiredly. Reaching over his head, he felt around for a switch he knew was there and flicked it off, the lights going very dim. Turning his head to the side, he looked at Sinon's face in the dark, studying the smooth, worry-free lines of her facial structure.

_She looks so peaceful when she's asleep._

And just like that, Kirito drifted into oblivion.

**A/N: There! Anniversary chapter! I hoped you liked it even though not much happened. Also, shout out to Warrior1311 who is now my editor for this story and ML. Having an editor is new for me, but at least now my writing will improve from here :)**

**Also, for those of you who do not know, I edited a scene in chapter 2 so that Sinon and Kirito are more in character. As a fanfictiion writer, I can tolerate a bit of OOC-ness, but that scene was too much for me. If you could, I would appreciate it if you went back and looked at it. It doesn't change the plot in any way though, so you don't have to.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the riddle I used. I am definitely not clever enough to come up with that on my own.**


	8. Chapter 8: Behind Every Truth is a Lie

**Chapter 8: Behind Every Truth is a Lie**

The next few days came slowly yet quickly, if that made any sense. For the majority of the time, Kirito laid in bed, asleep. He had a sneaking suspicion that his narcolepsy was due to something they were giving him, and he was tempted to do something about it (preferably something full of shouting and possibly throwing things), but Sinon's constant presence kept him from doing so. And when he was awake, he was with Sinon, talking, bonding, and trying to forget altogether just where they were and how being there made him want to crawl out of his skin. Being here definitely reminded him too much of a certain place, and it was taking a lot out of him to keep calm.

As the date of his discharge grew nearer, Kirito finally convinced Sinon to go home and get some real rest. She protested at first, saying she needed to stay for him. That made him smile, thankful for her companionship, but he only reminded her that she needed to be rested and ready to care for him at home should he need anything. She still looked a bit hesitant, but once he made a crack about how she was starting to smell and needed to go home to take a shower, she finally relented (although there was some glaring and forehead flicking before that happened).

The next day, she came back just when visiting hours started. She walked right passed the front desk with ease and made it down the hallways without even thinking about it. She had made a point to memorize the layout of the place even before Kirito had been admitted, and she was sure he had done the same.

The thought of her partner-in-crime made her sigh. It was typical of him to get himself thrown into a hospital for a week. Really, any kind of troublemaking was something he excelled at. He was her best friend, and she loved him and everything, but he was a real piece of work.

And that was what she was going to tell him as she turned into his hospital room.

…If he had been there, that is.

For a long moment, Sinon stared at the empty room, gray eyes unblinking. Then, for one earthshattering second, she thought the worst had happened. She thought he had died.

A sharp pang struck through her chest and she had to grip the doorframe to keep herself steady. The idea that he was gone, that he had left her all alone in this world was incomprehensible. Unforgivable. He couldn't just leave her… he promised.

Her fingers tightened on the frame. _No. Be logical about this. He probably just left his room._

Straightening, the girl took a deep breath and turned down the hallway. "Excuse me," she called to the nurse's station. A woman wearing white glanced over the counter at her. "Where's Kirito?"

"He left his room about half an hour ago," she answered, making Sinon's apprehension deflate like a balloon. "He went to visit Miss Konno."

"Oh." Well that was typical. She should have expected that. He was free to visit Yuuki practically anytime now that they were in the same hospital.

"Idiot. He could have at least left a note." With that, Sinon turned and stalked down the hallway. She passed familiar passageways, beeping equipment, and sterile instruments she had grown accustomed to over the past week. In no time, she had reached Yuuki's room.

Sugou was standing just outside it, back leaning against the nurse's station counter as he wrote something on a clipboard.

Making sure she stood on the other side of the hallway, Sinon cleared her throat. "Is he in there?"

The man didn't even glance up as he answered. "Yes. Go ahead in."

That was all the invitation she needed. Turning, Sinon walked to the door and opened it.

"Dammit, Yuuki!"

"Hehe! Better luck next time!"

Sinon walked in to an interesting sight. Kirito was in a wheelchair, his left side against the glass so that he faced away from the door. Yuuki was in her quarantined room as usual, grinning widely and sitting up in bed. It was hard to tell exactly what Kirito was feeling as she couldn't see his face, but Sinon could easily tell he was distressed by his voice and posture. Between the two of them, the wall of glass was illuminated with the blue outlines of a chess game.

"I'm assuming black is Kirito and white is Yuuki?"

Kirito turned his chair so that he could see the door, obviously surprised. "Sinon? Uh, hey. You're here earlier than I expected."

"So I gathered."

"Hey, Onee-chan!" Yuuki beamed. "Glad you could join us."

"Hey, Yuuki." Sinon stepped up to the glass, a smile readily pulling at her lips. "You look better today. A lot better."

"Yeah, I know. They say the new treatment is working great. I have high hopes. I might even be able to walk around soon."

"Really? That's great!"

"It would just be around this room though," the younger girl sighed, but her bright expression didn't falter, even as she looked around her virtual prison. "But that's still fine by me. It would be great to stretch my legs."

"Even though you've been stuck in bed, you haven't let yourself lose your edge." Sinon observed as she looked back up at the chess game. "I see you still exceed at chess."

"Ha, yeah, I practice all the time. And now Kirito's got no chance against me!"

"You only won seven out of sixteen times," said boy retorted though he barely glanced at her. He was staring at the board with a hand on his chin, and he had been like that since the girls had started talking.

"Yes but out of the other nine times, you won six and the last three were ties. I'm still winning."

"This one isn't over just yet. You just have me in check, not check mate. I could still win."

"True. But I'm not going down easy."

Sinon raised an eyebrow. "You guys had time to play sixteen games since visiting hours started twenty minutes ago?"

Yuuki shook her head. "No. We were playing from our rooms, but Kirito got tired of sitting around and having to communicate with a chat box, so he wheeled himself over when they would let him out."

The other girl sighed. "You should be resting… How are you feeling?"

It was a second before Kirito answered. "Fine. They should still be able to discharge me as planned… Knight to E5."

The corresponding chess piece on the board moved at his command, taking out a white bishop.

"Hm. Not bad… Queen to E5."

And just like that, Kirito lost the game.

"Ugh!" He groaned, and Yuuki laughed as he threw up his arms in defeat. "Let's call a break."

"Sure thing." The younger girl grinned. "We've been playing for a while anyway. Besides, I like playing with you, it's a lot more fun than playing against CPUs all the time, so I can deal with a break to get you back on your game."

"True, but CPUs are useful. That's why you've gotten better than me, you don't mind playing them. I've tried playing with Sinon, but she cheats."

"I do not," said girl answered, rolling her eyes. "You just can't beat me."

"I still say it's cheating."

"Hey, why don't _we_ play, Sinonon?" Yuuki asked, eyes bright with excitement. "I haven't gone against you in a long time. Plus it will give _Onii-chan _time to cool off."

"I don't need time. I'm cool." As if to prove his point, Kirito leaned back in his chair and balanced it on the back wheels, easily rolling them back and forth.

"Yeah right. Put your chair down," Sinon admonished. "You're going to fall backward and it's not going to be my fault."

"Yes, ma'am."

Sinon ignored that, and that fact that he hadn't done what she said, and instead turned back toward Yuuki. "I'd love to play with you. I'll take over for Kirito."

"Yes! You guys should get stuck in the hospital more often."

"Knowing Kirito, we will be."

_Crack!_

Sinon spun around, heart racing at the sudden, loud noise. Kirito was sitting in the corner, chair on all four wheels now. His hands were at his sides, knuckles white as they gripped the wheels. His head was bent with his bangs hiding his face, but from what Sinon could see, he had turned pale.

"Hey, are you ok?" she instantly took several steps toward him, hands reaching out hesitantly, to help or comfort, she wasn't sure just yet.

"...Yeah," he muttered. "I just got a little dizzy."

A hollow spot settled at the bottom of Sinon's stomach. "Do you need medication?"

"No. It's probably nothing. I'll just go get some water." The chair squeaked slightly as Kirito wheeled it around, and the girls watched as he slowly left the room.

Sinon stared after him long after he had disappeared from the frame. Her stomach still felt unnaturally hollow, and she put a light pressure over it with her hand in an attempt to stifle it.

"He'll be ok," Yuuki assured, smiling at the older girl when she turned around. "You know him, he can tough anything out."

It was a moment before Sinon could bring herself to nod. "Yeah. He'll be fine."

Yuuki's smile turned into a grin, for Sinon's sake as she knew—she knew Yuuki so well. "Now come on, pull up a chair and let's get this game going."

The ebony took a breath. Then she walked to the corner of the room and pulled the chair leaning against the wall towards the glass.

* * *

"It was supposed to be once a month."

"Yes, but you recently were extremely injured and lost a lot of blood. Additional therapy is required if you want to live until _next month." _Sugou ignored the venomous daggers Kirito glared at him as the nurse set up his IV. "And you do want that, don't you?"

Kirito wanted so badly to bite his head off (possibly not metaphorically), but kept his mouth shut at Sinon's hand gently resting on his shoulder. Jaw clenched, he tore his gaze away from Sugou and tried to focus on Sinon's touch and _not _the cold, latex of the nurse's gloved hand as she sterilized the inside of his arm with an alcohol pad. It was over in seconds, but it felt much longer to Kirito as he remained hyperaware of every single move the nurse made.

"Relax," she ordered him, and he would have snapped at her too if Sinon hadn't given his shoulder a tight squeeze. He opted, instead, to sit there and take deep breaths, looking at the wall until he felt the inevitable prick of the needle.

"There, all done," Sugou stated blandly as the nurse left. "In addition to the ERT, I am prescribing antiretroviral medication. You'll be able to pick it up before you leave."

"Is this still related to his condition?" Sinon asked. She kept her tone calm and level, but Kirito felt her hand tense.

"Yes, the same one. But it should be nothing to worry about. His recent injuries just aggravated it a bit."

"Right. Well, thank you."

"It's my job." With nothing more to say, the man turned and left the room.

Kirito growled lowly, but otherwise stayed tame in response to Sugou's terseness. He was surprised to find his heart racing after he finally settled down enough to think clearly. Hands gripping the arms of his wheelchair tightly, he glanced up at the IV bag the nurse had hung above him, the label reading "ERT-B14." Truthfully, he hated that bag almost more than Sugou. His only consolation had been he would see it just once a month, but it was twice this time…

"Hey, it's over now," Yuuki soothed from her side of the glass. "Just ignore it and it's like it's not even there."

"Yeah, I know. But it's not easy."

"We know," Sinon said. "But you need it. Just bear with us."

The boy blew out a long sigh, trying to hide the fact that his heart still hadn't calmed down. He may have to bear with it, but that didn't mean he liked it. He swore, when he found the bastards in Laughing Coffin that gave him AIDS, he was going to kill them.

"Right."

"Well, Yuuki and I are almost done with this game," Sinon said, glancing over at the pane of glass separating them. "When we're finished, you can play winner."

"Then he might as well play you right now, Onee-chan," Yuuki laughed. "I don't think I'm gonna win this one."

"But what's the point in giving up? I believe that playing until the end, even when you know you're going to lose, is worth it. You never know when things may turn around."

"Yeah but you're too in control to let that happen."

Just before Sinon returned to the game, she gave Kirito's shoulder another squeeze, smiled at him softly, and proceeded to give the computer a command that made Yuuki groan loudly.

As Kirito watched her go, he was reminded of his recent promise to her, and how the partnership between them would truly be a partnership now. They would be on truly equal terms, holding nothing back and sharing every burden. Thinking on it, he had to admit the idea appealed to him, even if he thought it may put Sinon in danger. She was his best friend, and it was so hard to hide things from your best friend that this arrangement was a relief.

_I just never want to be a burden to you._

That was true, he felt guilty for causing her so much trouble while they had been held in those cages, which was why he always did his best to go above and beyond for her: he practically owed her everything. But he remembered why he had told her that. She had asked why he wouldn't let her help—specifically, why he wouldn't let her help when he had faced Asuna on the roof of that building a week ago. His explanation had been true, but it wasn't the real reason.

_Are you only acting this way because you think we're in league with Laughing Coffin? If your main goal is to take them out, then come to our side._

That was the reason: he had wanted information and paid the price. And he wanted to tell Sinon about it, not just because of their pact but because she deserved to know.

Still in thought, Kirito's onyx eyes set upon the girls, watching as Yuuki made an exclamation as a banner reading "Winner: Black" rolled across the screen and Sinon smirked. Yuuki deserved to know too, but he couldn't exactly tell her for the same reason he had given Sinon a roundabout answer. It was also the other reason he didn't like hospitals, specifically this one: there were prying eyes everywhere. Sugou and his nurses were around every corner and could hear just about everything. Not to mention they were all in affiliation with RCT Progress; Kayaba would have eyes and ears everywhere and if _he _found out what Kirito had heard… well that would not be good. He was glad he had had enough wits about himself to remember that at the time.

"Ok, Kirito. You're turn."

"Yeah. To lose again."

The male was momentarily rendered speechless as they had interrupted his train of thoughts, but he quickly recovered as he glanced over at the board with a reluctant expression. "Fine, but as long as I'm black."

"Of course," Sinon relented, her eyes rolling. "Just get over here."

He gave a tired sigh before wheeling himself over. "Coming."

As he and Sinon played, Kirito was once again sucked in to his own thoughts. He would have to tell her soon, but when and how he wasn't sure of. He obviously couldn't tell her now, they were too exposed. And he couldn't tell Yuuki for that same reason, and sadly she may never know. She was stuck in here indefinitely, so she would have to remain out of the loop indefinitely. But maybe her ignorance was for the best as she wasn't in a good position to do anything about it anyway. Maybe he could tell Sinon on the way home or maybe even _at_ home… Wait, no. For all he knew, they had been bugged or something. Their apartment could be full of cameras and mics and their clothes could be lined with miniscule wires or something. Hell, maybe even their weapons were rigged, so talking about it on a mission was out. So that left nowhere.

No. No, he _had_ to tell her.

He thought about it longer, and that cost him his Queen, but he didn't much care for that at the moment. His only chance was on the way home from the hospital. It was either that or keep this to himself, and that was something that wouldn't sit well on his conscience. He had to tell her for both of their sakes.

* * *

The next morning, Sinon woke Kirito for their departure. They went over to Yuuki's room to say goodbye first, then headed down to the lobby where they were, surprisingly, met by a car waiting for them. Sinon wasn't sure what she had been expecting, seeing as how they couldn't exactly get Kirito home on his motorcycle. She wasn't sure what he had been expecting either, because now he was looking at the driver like he had kicked his cat.

In the car, they rode in silence. Even though Sinon knew she wasn't much of a social butterfly, and neither was Kirito, she still thought it odd that it was so quiet. For a while, she just watched Kirito watch the scenery as it passed by, and she eventually just concluded he was exhausted after spending so long in a hospital, which in any other case would be ironic. So, she left him alone, looking out her own window and taking note of the puddles of snowy sludge that remained on the streets.

When they finally arrived, Kirito stepped out of the car, careful of his still bandaged leg and the crutch he had been burdened with as Sinon stood by in case he needed help.

As the car drove off, the ebony let out a small sigh of relief. Now that they were home and away from that place, they could finally have some time to themselves and some relaxation. But just as she was about to begin her walk to the building, a hand gripped her shoulder. Curious, she turned around, only to find Kirito looking at her with an unusually blank expression. She was about to ask what was going on when he placed a finger to his lips, warning her to be quiet. Then, he jerked his head to the side, signaling that she follow him that way, then hobbled his way down the sidewalk.

She didn't know what was going on, but she went with him anyway. It didn't help that he led them a block down to the park and left his crutch at the gate. She almost asked what he was doing, but he gave her a look and she remained silent, and she instead went to his side to bring his arm over her shoulders and help him over to the swing set. It remained peculiar from there when he didn't even take the opportunity to sit down. Instead, he turned to face her and placed his hands behind his head, staring.

_He wants me to search him? _she thought, raising an eyebrow. But Kirito didn't move, still making the gesture. She knew he was weird, but this was a different weird, so she played along, patting him down and searching for anything suspicious. After a pause and an insistent nod from the boy, she even checked his leg, patting the bandages carefully to check for any bulges.

Then, at a jut of the chin from Kirito, she put her hands behind her head and allowed him to do the same. When he was done and he let out a sigh of what sounded like relief, Kirito sat down and Sinon put her hands on her hips.

"Ok, what was that about?"

"I had to be sure no one was listening to us."

"Why…" Sinon asked slowly. "What's going on?"

Her companion remained quiet for some time, sitting on the swing with his elbows resting on his knees while he stared at the ground. "…There's something I need to tell you, and I need you to promise not to immediately blow up on me."

Well that didn't sound good. "Alright. What is it?"

Another pause. "Remember when you asked me why I didn't let you take the shot? Well there was more to it than what I said."

Sinon raised an eyebrow, tempted to threaten whatever this was out of him. But he had taken the time to make sure they weren't bugged or overheard, and that said this was serious. Instead, she crossed her arms. "Ok."

"That night, I didn't let you shoot because Asuna said something to me. I didn't really believe it at first, but the way she said it… there wasn't any malice. Of course, I considered if she was a really good bluffer, but she doesn't strike me as the type."

It was then that Kirito glanced up at Sinon, his onyx eyes locking with hers. "She offered for us to join the Union so that we could all take out Laughing Coffin together."

That wasn't what Sinon was expecting. She had been all prepared to scold Kirito for stopping to listen to anything their enemies had to say, but _this._

"Wh-what does she mean?" the ebony finally managed. "Why the hell is she offering for us to join the people we want revenge on?"

"I don't know. It could be just an angle she was trying to play to get me to put my guard down, but all I have is speculation."

"Wh—you can't even trust her. You _know _that! Are you really taking this seriously?!"

Despite Sinon's blood starting to boil, Kirito remained calm, which was very backward for them. "I might be. Why would she have made _that _offer anyway? She knows something."

"How? This isn't smart, Kirito! You can't let this get in your head; that would lead us away from what we've been working toward this whole time."

His expression only darkened. "I know, which is why I didn't give her the satisfaction of taking up her offer."

Sinon cooled down somewhat. "So you don't believe her."

He shook his head. "No, of course not. I have no reason to, at least not completely."

The girl took a breath in and let it out, feeling Kirito watching her expectantly. "But you want to find out for sure. I expect nothing less from you."

Her companion relaxed somewhat. "That's all I ask of you, that you understand. I just needed you to know."

A small smile twitched at Sinon's lips. "Well I'm glad you told me. But I hope she was lying."

He returned with a grimace. "Yeah. Me too."

Because if she was telling the truth, everything they had built their lives on up until now was a lie.

**A/N: I'm really sorry this is a year late... This is the anniversary chapter but I got it done a day early so here it is. I hope this can sort of make up for me being MIA. But don't worry, I will never abandon this story even if it takes me ten years to finish it (which I really hope doesn't happen and I will do my best to finish it a lot sooner than that). Good news is, I pretty much have the next chapter planned out in my head, so it may come out sooner than you think.**

**And yep, I switched it up on you guys; Kirito is the one with AIDS. And I will get more into that stuff later so look forward to it.**

**Sorry again for the lateness and I will see you next chapter. Please review!**


End file.
